OOLUMmA  UWVBRtrrY  UBRARIIW 


WORKS      ISSUED      li  Y 


Cljc  ^afeluKt  ^oftftg^ 


THE    TIIREI^    VOYAGES 
OF    VASCO    DA    OAMA    I'O    INDIA. 


FIRST  SERIES.  NO.  XLl  I-MDCCCLXIX 


V  A  S  C  O     DA    G  A  M  A. 

From  a  I'or/niit  in  the  possession  of 

His  Excellency  the  Count  de  Lavradio. 


THE 


7^  H  R  E  E     VOYAGES 


OF 


V  A  S  C  0     DA     (i  A  M  A, 


AND 


HIS    VICEROYALTY. 


FROM    THE 


iLenHas  ria  latiia 


OF 


GASPAR     CORREa, 


ACCOMPANIED     BY    ORIGIN  \.L    DOCUMENTS. 


TRANSLATED     FROM     THE     P0R1UOUE8E, 
WITH    NOTES    AND    AN    INTRODUCTION, 

BY  THE 

HON    HENRY   E.  J.   STANLEY. 


BURT  FRANKLIN,  PUBLISHER 
NEW  YORK,  NEW  YORK 


Published  by 
BURT  FRANKLIN 
514  West  113th  Street 
New  York  25,  N.  Y, 

H  1^ 


/1xM 


ORIGINALLY  PUBLISHED  BY  THE  HAKLUYT  SOCIETY 


REPRINTED  BY  PERMISSION 


3=iD36A7 


PRINTED  IN  THE  U.S.A. 


S^  DEDICATED, 

Si  TO      THE      MEMORY      OF      MY      FRIEND, 

'  PERCY    SMYTHE,    VISCOUNT    STEANGFOED, 

WHOSE    LOSS    IS    DEEPLY    REGRETTED 

BY     ALL     WHO     HAD     AN     OPPORTUNITY" 

OF      APPRECIATING      HIS      SOUND      LEARNING, 

JUDICIOUS    CRITICISM, 

AND      LOVE      OF      JUSTICE. 


AS    A    TRIBUTE    oF    AFFECTION, 


COUNCIL 


THE     HAKLUYT     SOCIETY. 


SIR   RODERICK   IMPEY   MURCHI80N,  Bart.,  K.C.B.,  G.C.St.S.,  F.RS.,  D.C.L.,  Corr. 
Mem.  Inst.  V.,  Hou.  Mem.  Imp.  Acad.  So.  Petersburg,  etc.,  etc.,  President. 

Admiral  C.  R.  DRINKWATER  BF.THUNE,  C.B.     ) 

[  Vice  Peebidbnts. 
The  Rt.  Hon.  Sir  DAVID  DUNDAS.  ] 

The  Right  Hon.  H.  U.  ADDINGTON. 

J.  BARROW,  Esq.,  F.R.S. 

Lord  ALFRED  CHURCHILL. 

Rear-Admiral  R.  COLLINSON,  C.B. 

General  C.  FOX. 

W.  E.  FRERE,  KsQ. 

R.  W.  GREY,  Esq. 

CHARLES  GREY,  Esq. 

JOHN  WINTER  JONES,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 

Count  de  LAVRADIO. 

R.  H.  MAJOR,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 

SiE  WILLIAM  STIRLING  MAXWELL,  Bart. 

Sib  CHARLES  NICHOLSON,  Bart.,  D.C.L.,  LL.D. 

Majob-General  Sir  HENRY  C.  RAWLINSON,  K.C.H. 

Hon.  H.  STANLEY. 


CLEMKNTS  R.  MARKHAM,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  Honobabv  Secbbtabv. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Louvarei  antes  o  Camoens  sublime, 
E  o  bravo  Gama,  arando  ignotos  mares, 
E  as  Nereidas  nuas  impellindo 
As  uaos,  que  amea^a  o  escolho. 

Francisco  MANUF.r,, 


The  account  here  given  of  Vasco  da  Gama's  voyages 
is  taken  from  Gaspar  Correa's  Lendas  da  India,  and 
is  entirely  new  ;  for  Correa's  work,  which  has  only 
been  printed  within  the  last  ten  ye^rs,  entere  into 
much  more  detail  than  the  other  chroniclers,  fre- 
quently differs  from  them,  and  has  not  been  made 
use  of  by  the  great  majority  of  the  historians  who 
wrote  subsequently  to  him. 

Gaspar  Correa  went  to  India,  as  he  says  in  his 
prologue,  when  very  young,  and  sixteen  years  after 
India  was  discovered, — that  would  be  in  1514.  The 
editors  of  the  history,  printed  by  the  Academy  of 
Lisbon,  say,  however,  that  he  sailed  with  Jorge  de 
Mello  in  March  of  1512,  on  the  ground  of  a  receipt 
of  which  a  facsimile  is  given.  The  receipt  is  signed 
by  Gaspar  Correa,  but  bears  no  date.  It  does  not 
appear  to  bear  out  the  assumption  that  Correa  sailed 
with  Jorofe  de  Mello.     It  runs  thus  : 


11  INTRODUCTION. 

"  tres  adigoes 
Gaspar  Correa  que  foy  de  Jorge  de  mello  que  foy  mestre  salla 

avera  ho  mes  de  Junho  sem  cevada  ao  respeito 406  reis 

Recebeo  de  nuno  Rybeiro  os  quatrocentos  e  seys  reis  em  cyma 

conteudos, 

Bastiao  da  costa.  Gaspar  Correa." 

Correa  arrived  in  India  fifteen  years  before  Castan- 
heda,  and  must  have  begun  to  write  his  history 
during  the  government  of  Alfonso  d' Albuquerque, 
since  while  he  was  his  secretary  he  got  hold  of  a 
diary  written  by  Joam  Figueira,  a  priest,  who  accom- 
panied Gama  ;  and  this,  he  says,  gave  him  the  desire 
to  write  down  all  that  he  could  learn  of  the  deeds 
done  in  India.  He  wrote  the  history  of  fifty-three 
years  of  the  Portuguese  exploits  in  India,  leaving  off 
with  the  government  of  Jorge  Cabral.  He  mentions 
having  written  part  of  his  history  in  1561.  The  year 
of  his  death,  which,  according  to  Barbosa  Machado, 
occurred  in  Goa,  is  not  known  ;  but,  as  the  editors 
of  the  printed  copy  say,  it  must  have  been  before 
1583,  since  Miguel  da  Gama,  son  of  D.  Francisco, 
the  second  count  of  Vidigueira,  left  India  on 
February  21st,  1583,  bringing  with  him  Correa's 
manuscript.  D.  Miguel's  ship,  the  Reliqidas,  en- 
countered many  storms,  and  at  length  arrived  in  the 
Tagus,  where  fire  broke  out  on  board  the  ship,  which 
was  with  difficulty  extinguished,  and  Correa's  manu- 
script escaped  from  this  danger  also. 

Nicholas  Antonio,  in  his  Bihliotheca  Scriptorum 
Hispaniw  (Rome,  1672),  mentions  our  author  in  the 
following  terms,  "Gaspar  Correa,  Lusitanus,  a  civibus 
siiis  laudatur  eo  quod  scripserit,  Historia  da  India"  ; 


INTRODirCTlUN.  lU 

and  the  prologue  of  the  Academy  edition  compares 
him  to  Polybius  :  so  that  it  might  be  a  matter  of 
surprise  that  his  work  was  not  pubhshed  till  three 
centuries  after  it  was  written. 

The  printed  edition  explains  the  causes  which 
operated  to  prevent  this  publication  in  later  times  : 
at  an  earlier  period  they  must  be  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  Corjrea  expressly  intended  his  work  to  be  a 
posthumous  one,  in  order  that  he  might  speak  the 
truth  of  all  concerned  ;  after  his  death,  from  the 
corruption  which  had  set  in  among  the  Portuguese, 
truth  was  still  more  unpalatable  ;  and  it  may  also  be 
supposed  that  many  passages  of  Correa's  history 
could  not  have  passed  through  the  cens\u*e  of  the 
Inquisition,  since  at  that  time  they  would  have 
affixed  upon  D.  Joam  II.  and  upon  D.  Manuel  the 
stigma  of  Judaism  and  necromancy. 

Correa's  work  was  hardly  ever  mentioned  from  that 
time  tiU  1790,  when  the  Lisbon  Academy  determined 
on  obtaining  a  copy  of  it,  for  the  purpose  of  printing 
it.  Till  lately  they  had  not  obtained  more  than  a 
transcript  of  part  of  the  first  volume,  made  by  two 
persons,  apparently  at  the  end  of  the  last  century  or 
beginning  of  the  present  one.  At  length,  in  183G, 
the  second,  third,  and  fourth  volumes  of  Correa's 
manuscript,  written  in  his  own  hand,  were  deposited 
in  the  library  of  the  Archives  by  Senhor  Dr.  Antonio 
Nunes  de  Carvalho.  The  work,  however,  could  not 
proceed  for  want  of  the  first  vohime,  which  is  lost 
without  leaving  any  trace  or  hopes  of  recovery. 
Some  years  ago,  however,  Senhor  Aureliano  Basto, 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

father  of  Senhor  Joam  Baste,  the  Keeper  of  the 
Archives,  was  so  fortunate  as  to  hear  of  a  copy 
of  the  first  volume  in  the  shop  of  a  confectioner, 
where  he  bought  it  for  twenty-eight  thousand  eight 
hundred  reis.  This  copy  is  said  to  be  of  a  date  but 
a  Httle  more  modern  than  the  time  of  Correa. 

A  second  copy  exists  in  the  Royal  Library  of  the 
Ajuda,  in  two  volumes,  in  a  handwriting  apparently 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  or  end  of  the  seventeenth. 
This  copy  is  very  imperfect.  In  many  parts  the 
copyist  has  been  unable  to  read  the  original,  besides 
which  he  took  impardonable  liberties  with  the  text, 
correcting  and  mutilating  it,  and  making  large  omis- 
sions. This  copy,  however,  served  to  assist  MM, 
Basto  and  Gomes  Goes,  also  of  the  Archives,  in  pre- 
paring a  copy  for  the  press,  which  has  been  edited  by 
Senhor  Rodrigo  J.  de  Lima  Felner. 

The  translation  now  given  to  the  Hakluyt  Society 
has  been  made  from  a  transcript  taken  from  another 
copy  of  the  first  volume,  the  property  of  the  Duke  of 
Gor,  and  which  before  it  belonged  to  his  family,  had 
belonged  to  the  Count  of  Torrepalma.  I  was  not 
aware  till  last  year  that  copies  of  Correa  existed 
at  Lisbon ;  and  the  editors  of  the  Lisbon  edition 
did  not  know  of  the  copy  in  the  possession  of  the 
Duke  of  Gor.  Singularly  enough,  the  Duke  of 
Gor's  copy  and  that  rescued  from  the  confectioner 
appear  to  have  been  written  by  the  same  scribe  :  the 
handwriting,  size  of  the  volume  and  page,  columns 
and  headings  of  the  pages  in  red  ink,  are  similar  in 
the    two    copies.      A    whole    leaf,    however,    of   the 


INTllODUOTION.  V 

liabon  copy  had  gone  to  wrap  up  sweetmeats,  so 
that  the  beginning  of  chapter  vi  and  end  of  chapter 
vii  have  been  made  to  coalesce  into  chapter  vi  in  the 
printed  edition. 

The  various  chroniclers  who  have  related  Gama's 
voyage  to  India  vary  very  much  in  their  dates,  and 
agree  only  as  to  the  date  of  his  arrival  at  the  river 
named  Dos  Reis,  on  Twelfth  Day.  They  also  differ 
in  the  number  of  ships  that  composed  the  squadron, 
some  giving  four  and  others  three  ships,  and  they 
vary  as  to  where  the  three  ships  were  reduced  to 
two,  Correa's  account,  however,  differs  still  more 
from  that  of  all  the  others,  for  he  makes  the 
departure  from  Melinde  and  arrival  in  India  three 
months  later  than  in  any  of  the  other  narratives. 
He  also  very  much  shortens  the  return  voyage  to 
Melinde,  which  the  other  historians  represent  as  one 
of  the  most  arduous  passages,  in  which  the  crews 
suffered  great  hardships.  In  this,  Camoens  seems  to 
have  followed  Correa,  canto  x,  stanza  144  : 

"  Thus  they  set  out,  cutting  through  the  sea  serene, 
With  the  wind  always  gentle,  meeting  no  storm, 
Until  the  desired  land  hove  in  sight  again  ; 
The  ever-beloved  country  in  which  they  were  born." 

MiTCHBLL. 

They  also  differ  in  the  fact  that  Correa  names 
Gama's  ship  S.  Rafael,  whilst  Barros  names  it  *S^. 
Gabriel;  but  outside  the  town  of  Vidigueira,  of  which 
Gama  was  made  Count,  there  is  a  chapel  of  St.  Raphael, 
in  which  an  image  of  that  saint  is  preserved  to  whom 
Gama's  ship  was  dedicated.     Correa  is  also  the  only 


VI  IxVrRODUCTlON. 

historian  who  relates  that  Gama  visited  Caiianor  on 
leaving  Calicut. 

The  following  are  the  reasons  why,  in  my  opinion, 
Correa's  narrative  should  be  preferred  to  the  others. 
Firstly,  he  came  to  India  earlier  than  any  of  the 
other  writers,  and  was  the  only  one  who  made  use  of 
the  diary  of  the  priest  Joam  Figueira.  Castanheda 
who  went  to  India  in  1528,  is  the  only  historian 
who  competes  with  him  in  this  respect.  Damian 
de  Goes  did  not  visit  India.  Osorio  takes  almost 
all  his  facts  from  Goes,  and  Barros  w^rote  much 
later.  Secondly,  the  reasons  given  by  Correa  why 
his  work  should  be  a  posthumous  one,  and  the 
religious  respect  for  truth  which  he  professes, 
ought  to  secure  to  him  a  large  share  of  credi- 
bility. Thirdly,  in  many  of  the  points  in  which 
Correa  is  at  variance  with  the  other  chronicles,  his 
narrative  is  more  in  accordance  with  human  nature 
and  probability.  The  salient  points  of  the  narratives 
of  Castanheda,  Barros  and  others,  have  been  added  at 
the  foot  of  the  text,  and  further  reasons  for  preferring 
Correa's  dates  and  version  will  be  found  in  the  foot- 
notes. The  Lisbon  edition  does  not  examine  which 
of  the  various  accounts  are  to  be  preferred.  The 
prologue  only  observes  that  Correa's  work  contains 
some  chronological  errors,  and  disputes  what  he  says 
of  the  invention  of  nautical  instruments,  and  of  the 
use  of  portable  firearms.  It  adds,  that  "  these  venial 
faults  ought  not  to  diminish  the  lustre  of  Caspar 
Correa,  nor  raise  doubts  as  to  his  good  faith,  and  the 
full   truth  with  which   he  relates  what  he  saw  and 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

heard."  The  prologue  also  disputes  Correa's  giving 
the  credit  of  the  voyage  of  Bartholomew  Dias  to 
Joam  Infante.  Here,  however,  geography  supports 
Correa,  for  the  name  of  Rio  do  Infante,  the  term  of 
the  voyage  in  which  Joam  Infante  and  Bartholomew 
Dias  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  shows  that 
Correa  had  not  exaggerated  the  position  held  by 
Joam  Infante  in  that  voyage. 

I  do  not  know  to  what  anachronism  as  to  espin- 
gardas  or  firelocks  the  prologue  refers  :  Barros,  how- 
ever, and  not  Correa,  is  the  person  who  is  guilty  of 
them  in  Gama's  first  voyage.  Correa  only  mentions 
the  use  of  cross-bows. 

Amongst  the  rare  occasions  in  which  Caspar  Cor- 
rea mentions  himself,  we  find  the  following  in  the 
year  1547  (tom.  iv,  p.  596).  At  that  time  "  D.  Joao 
de  Castro  (the  thirteenth  governor)  thought  it  right 
to  preserve  some  recollection  of  the  former  governors, 
so  he  summoned  me,  Caspar  Correa,  as  I  understood 
painting,  and  because  I  had  seen  in  this  country  all 
the  governors  who  had  governed  in  these  parts;  and 
he  enjoined  me  to  work  at  drawing  all  the  governors 
naturally  [the  size  of  hfe  ?].  In  which  I  occupied 
myself  with  a  painter,  a  man  of  the  country,  who  had 
a  great  natural  turn,  and  he,  by  the  directions  which 
I  gave  him,  painted  their  faces  so  like  nature,  that 
whoever  had  seen  them,  at  once,  on  seeing  the  paint- 
ings, recognised  them.  The  governor  also  had  him- 
self painted  there  after  nature,  armed  as  if  he  was 
figuring  in  a  triumph.^     All  were  painted  on  boards, 

^  This  refers  to  the  palm  he  holds  in  his  hand,  and  the  palm 
leaf  crown  on  his  head  in  the  picture,  tom.  iv,  p.  430. 


vm  INTRODUCITION. 

each  one  separately,  full  size,  and  all  armed  with 
corslets,  and  some  with  the  very  weapons  with  which 
they  armed  themselves,  and  upon  them  garments  of 
dark  silk,  with  very  rich  gold  embroidery,  and  hand- 
some swords,  and  above  their  heads  the  escutcheons 
of  their  arms.  At  the  foot  of  each  was  written  in 
gilt  letters  their  names,  and  the  time  during  which 
they  had  governed.  He  ordered  these  to  be  placed 
in  the  hall  of  their  house,  covered  with  curtains. 
This  was  a  thing  which  looked  very  well,  and  all  the 
ambassadors  and  foreign  merchants  dehghted  much 
in  seeing  them  ;  so  much  so  that  some  kings  and  lords 
sent  to  fetch  them  all  together  to  see  them.  The 
governor  put  lay  figures^  in  the  hall,  with  halberds,^  and 
with  awful  features  to  inspire  dread  in  the  Moors 
who  saw  them.  As  the  first  governor  was  the  Vice- 
roy D.  Francisco  d' Almeida,  the  head  of  the  house  of 
the  Almeidas  of  Portugal,  a  man  of  great  merit,  as 
has  been  written  in  this  history,  and  as  the  governor 
was  much  pleased  with  his  noble  deeds,  he  ordered 
an  inscription  to  be  wi'itten  in  this  manner:  'Rejoice, 
O  great  and  warlike  Lusitania,  over  your  good  Por- 
tugal, since  from  thee  issued  Dom  Francisco  d'AJmeida, 
the  most  illustrious  man  who  conquered  these  parts  : 
and  warring  in  them  subjected  them  to  the  lordship 
of  Portugal,  with  so  much  glory  to  the  royal  sceptre.'" 
The  autograph  manuscript  of  Correa  contains  his 
pen  and  ink  sketches  of  these  governors,  which  have 
been  reproduced  in   the  Lisbon  edition.     They  are 

^   CabiJos.  ~  Bysarmas. 


INTRODUCTIOxV.  IX 

better  than  the  portraits  in  Pedro  Barreto  de  Resende's 
work,  which  are  probably  copied  from  the  portraits 
at  Goa.  There  is  a  MS.  of  P.  B.  de  Resende  in  the 
Sloane  collection  of  the  British  Museum. 

Vasco  da  Gama  was  born  in  the  town  of  Sines,  on 
the  Atlantic,  half  way  between  Lisbon  and  Cape  St. 
Vincent.  This  town  is  situated  in  a  bay,  (and  its 
name  may  perhaps  be  derived  from  the  Latin  sinus) 
which  is  formed  by  a  point  which  juts  out  consider- 
ably on  its  northern  side,  and  terminates  in  some 
rocky  islets.  The  town  faces  west.  It  contains  the 
outer  walls  of  an  old  castle,  and  the  first  cottages  at 
the  northern  entrance  are  said  to  occupy  the  site  of  a 
house  which  belonged  to  Gama's  family.  At  about 
ten  min\ites'  distance  from  the  town  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  bay  there  is  a  natural  wall  of  granite 
about  sixty  feet  high,  which  runs  out  into  the  sea 
and  forms  a  creek,  in  which  small  vessels  can  at  all 
times  lie  in  perfect  safety.  When  I  saw  it,  it  was 
almost  completely  filled  by  from  forty  to  fifty  fishing 
vessels,  made  fast  to  one  another  stem  and  stem. 
The  top  of  this  ridge  of  rock  is  occupied  by  a  narrow 
path  or  promenade,  with  a  parapet  on  either  side.  A 
path  leads  up  from  the  creek  to  a  smaU  church  on 
the  top  of  the  clifi".  This  church  was  built  by  Vasco 
da  Gama  after  his  appointment  as  Viceroy  of  India, 
as  an  inscription  on  the  right  hand  of  the  door  states, 
though  it  does  not  mention  the  year.  There  is  an 
escutcheon  on  the  left  side  of  the  door  (on  entering 
it.)  Externally  this  church  is  very  simple  ;  within  it 
lias  only  a  groined  ceiling  to  recommend  it,  and  a  gal- 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

estaca 

gaUenocas^^Has 

salasmatioufa^erom^'' 

manificas'^°  tJbbascotJag 

amacoUeUabitiig'^al 

mtrantebisoreiHas 

pnUias, 

lery  or  choro  alto  over  the  door  facing  the  altar.  Of 
late  years  a  bad  portrait  of  Gama  has  been  suspended 
in  this  chapel.  An  undulating  plain  of  sand,  which 
is  almost  a  desert  waste,  extends  all  round  Sines,  for 
a  distance  of  more  than  three  leagues,  and  beyond 
that  the  hills  are  not  such  as  to  justify  an  expres- 
sion of  Lord  George  Grenville's,  of  "  Lusia's  hardy 
mountaineer."^ 

Dr.  Francisco  Luis  Lopez,  who  lives  at  Sines,  has 
written  a  Brief  Notice  of  Sines,  Lisbon,  1850.  From 
it  I  have  extracted  the  following  details  of  the  gene- 
alogy of  Vasco  da  Gama,  which  Dr.  Lopez  has  col- 
lected from  genealogical  works  and  the  records  at 
Lisbon  and  Evora. 

Senhor  Antonio  de  Lima  says  in  his  Nohiliario  that 
the  Gamas  proceed  from  a  knight  who  accompanied 
the  famous  Giraldo  the  Fearless  at  the  conquest  of 
Evora  in  1166,  but  he  does  not  continue  the  series  of 
his  lineage.  In  some  old  memoirs  it  is  said  that  that 
valiant  man  was  of  the  family  of  Ulloa,  in  Spain, 
which  uses  the  same  arms.  The  first  Gama  who  was 
distinguished  in  Portugal  was  Alvaro  Annes  da 
1  Portugal,  p.  34  (London,  1812). 


INTRODUCTION,  XI 

Gama,  who  lived  in  01iven9a^  in  the  year  1280, 
and  was  one  of  the  famous  captains  who  served  D. 
Affonso  III  in  the  conquest  of  Algarve.  He  married 
and  had  children — (ii)  Joao  Alves  da  Gama,  Lopo  da 
Gama,  Bartholesa  da  Gama.  Joao  Alves  da  Gama 
lived  in  0Hven9a,  and  served  in  the  wars  of  D.  Diniz 
and  D.  Affonso  IV.  He  married  Guiomar  Cogominho, 
sister  of  his  brother-in-law,  and  had  (iii)  Alvaro 
Annes  da  Gama,  who  served  D.  Affonso  IV,  and  was 
with  him  in  the  celebrated  battle  of  the  Salado  in 
1340.  He  married  Maria  Esteves  Barreto,  and  had 
■• — (iv)  Estevao  Alvares  da  Gama,  Diogo  da  Gama, 
Commendador  de  S.  Pedro  de  Trancoso.  Estevao 
Alvares  da  Gama  lived  in  Elvas  in  the  time  of  D. 
Fernando  and  D.  Joao  I.  He  married  Catharina 
Mendes,  and  had — (v)  Vasco  da  Gama  ;  who  mar- 
ried, and  had — (vi)  Estevao  da  Gama,  who  was 
Alcaide  M(5r  of  Sines  and  of  Silves  in  Algarve.  He 
served  D.  Fernando,  the  brother  of  D.  Affonso  V. 
He  married  Isabel  Sodre,  daughter  of  Joao  de  Re- 
sende  and  his  wife  Maria  Sodre,  and  had — Paulo 
da  Gama,  Ayres  da  Gama,^    (vii)    Vasco  da   Gama 

^  Oliven^ais  in  Spanisli  Estremadura.  In  1300  it  was  ceded 
by  D.  Ferdinand  to  J).  Diniz,  King  of  Portugal,  by  a  treaty 
for  the  exchange  of  certain  castles.  This  treaty  was  executed 
in  Castel  Branco,  April  19,  era  1338,  and  is  preserved  in  the 
Torre  do  Tombo,  Gav.  18,  Ma90  9,  No.  5.  During  the  War  of 
Independence  Spain  recovered  Olivenqa,  which  was  to  have  been 
restored  to  Portugal  in  1815  ;  and  Murray's  Handbook  of  Por- 
tugal, p.  51,  says  that  it  is  a  cause  of  complaint  by  the  Por- 
tuguese that  England  did  not  do  nnore  to  obtain  the  restitution 
of  Olivenga  for  them. 

-  I  am  indebted  to  Senhor  Joao  Pedro  da  Costa  Basto,  the 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

(the  navigator),  Est e van  da  Gama,  Theresa  or  Tareyja 
da  Gama.  Vasco  da  Gama  is  said  to  have  been  bora 
in  the  year  1469.  When  young  he  served  in  the  war 
against  Castile.  He  married  Catharina  de  Atayde, 
daughter  of  Alvaro  de  Ataide,  Alcaide-mor  of  Alvor, 
and  had — (viii)  Francisco,  Estevan,  Paulo,  Christo- 
vam,  Pedro  da  Silva,  Alvaro  d' Ataide.  M.  Ferdi- 
nand states  that  Vasco  da  Gama  may  have  been 
born  earlier  than  1469,  since  a  safe-conduct,  dated 
1478,  has  been  discovered,  which  was  given  by  Fer- 
dinand and  Isabella  to  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  Lemos 
to  go  to  Tangiers,  and  it  seems  unlikely  that  a  safe- 
conduct  would  have  been  given  for  children.  M.  F. 
Denis  also  thinks  it  very  probable  that  Gama's  eldest 
son  was  born  before  he  sailed  in  1497;  and  the 
ninety-third  stanza  of  the  fourth  canto  of  the  Lusiad 
lends  itself  to  the  supposition  that  Gama  was  already 
married.  On  the  otTier  hand  it  seems  clear  that 
Estevan,  who  appears  to  have  been  the  second  son, 
was  bom  in  1504,  after  Gama's  return  from  his 
second  voyage,  since  Correa  says,  tom.  iv,  p.  122, 
that  he  was  from  thirty-five  to  thirty-seven  years  of 
age  when  he  became  governor  of  India  on  the  death 
of  D.  Garcia  de  Noronha,  April  4,  1540,  and  it  is 
more  probable  that  Gama  married  after  his  return 
from  his  first  voyage,  since  during  that  voyage  no 
allusion  is  ever  made  to  wife  or  child,  and  it  is  only 
in  his  second  voyage  that  we  find  him  accompanied 

head  of  the  Torre  do  Tombo,  for  this  portion  of  the  genealogy, 
and  for  the  fact  of  Ayres  being  older  than  Vasco  da  Gama,  which 
are  extracted  from  accredited  genealogical  books. 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

by  Alvaro  d'Ataide,   his  brother-in-law.     D.  Fran- 
cisco, second  Count  of  Vidigneira,  married  Guiomar  de 
ViJhena,  who  died  in  1585,  they  had  five  sons  and 
one  daughter ;  the  eldest  of  these,  D.  Vasco,  third 
Count  of  Vidigueira,   was  killed  at   the   battle    of 
Alkasr  Kebir,  in  1578.     D.  Francisco,  fourth  Count  of 
Vidigueira,  was  bom  in  1565  ;  he  was  twice  Viceroy 
of  India,  and  died  going  to  Madrid,  at  Oropesa,  in 
July  1632:    he  was  buried  at  Vidigueira  in  1640; 
he  married  twice,  and  of  his  second  wife,  Leonor  da 
Sylva,  he  had  two  sons  and  eight  daughters.     The 
second  son,  D.  Vasco  da  Gama,  fifth  Count  of  Vidi- 
gueira, and  first  Marquis  of  Niza,  was  born  December 
-14,  1612;  he  was  ambassador  to  France  and  to  the 
Popes  Urban  VIII  and  Innocent  X :  he  died  October 
28,   1676.     He  married  the  Marqueza  D.  Ignez  de 
Noronha  December  29,  1632,  and  had  five  children; 
the  eldest,  D.  Francisco  Luiz  Balthesar,  second  Mar- 
quis of  Niza,  was  bom  March  1,  1636,  and  died  at 
Evora  August    10,   1707:  he  married  twice  during 
the  lifetime  of  his  father ;  first  with  D.  Helena  da 
Sylveira  e  Noronha,  February  12,   1654  :    she   died 
after  childbirth  September  21, 1656  ;  of  her  he  had  an 
only  daughter,   D.   Maria  Josefa  de  Noronha,  bom 
September    4,    1656.     He    married   a   second   time, 
November  21,  1657,  with  D.  Brites  de  Vilhena,  and 
had   eight  sons   and   two   daughters  :  the   eldest  of 
these,  D.  Vasco  Luis  Balthasar  da  Gama,  third  Mar- 
quis of  Niza,  was  born  at  Lisbon  August  12,  1662  : 
he  was  at  the  taking  of  Valen9a  de  Alcantara,  Albu- 
querque, and  other  places  ;  he  died  October  4,  1735. 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

He  married  August  17,  1709,  with  D.  Barbara  de 
Lara,  and  had  an  only  daughter,  D.  Maria  Josefa 
Francisca  Xavier  Balthasar  da  Gama,  bom  February 
8,  1712,  the  fourth  Marqueza  de  Niza,  and  heiress 
of  this  house.  She  married,  June  12,  1729,  with 
Nuno  da  Sylva  Telles,  second  son  of  the  Marquis  de 
Alegrete,  who,  by  his  marriage,  became  fourth  Mar- 
quis of  Niza  :  they  had  six  children,  bom  between 
Jime  7,  1730,  and  January  18,  1738:  and  from  these 
proceed  the  later  Marquises  of  Niza/ 

Estevan,  Vasco  da  Gama's  second  son,  was  governor 
of  India  in  1540,  and  returned  to  Europe  in  1542  ; 
he  went  to  Venice  because  D.  Joam  III  was  offended 
9,t  his  not  taking  a  wife  of  his  choosing  :  he  died  at 
Venice,  leaving  a  natural  son.^  Paiilo,  Gama's  third 
son,  was  killed  in  a  naval  action  off  Malacca  in  1534. 
Christovam,  Gama's  fourth  son,  began  his  expedition 
in  Abyssinia  July  6,  1541,  and  was  killed  there  in 
1542.  Pedro  da  Silva  da  Gama,  Gama's  fifth  son, 
commanded  the  ship  Rainha  in  the  fleet  that  sailed 
from  Lisbon  in  1537.  (G.  Correa,  tom,  iii,  p.  816  ; 
and  Couto,  Dec.  v,  lib.  ii,  cap.  3.)  Correa  mentions 
him  three  times  in  the  year  1547,  once  as  son  of 
Vasco  da  Gama,  and  once  as  brother  of  Estevan  da 
Gama,  the  governor.  A  document  in  the  Torre  do 
Tombo,  Chancellaria  de  D.  Joao  III,  Livro  31,  fol. 
18,  dated  Almeirim,  January  26,  1541,  appoints  D. 
Pedro  da  Sylva,  gentleman  of  the  King's  household 

^  Antonio    Caetano   de    Sousa,   Historia   Genealogica   da   Casa 
Real  Portuguesn,  Lisbon,  1743,  tom.  x,  559-576. 
2  Antonio  Caetano  de  Sousa.    Ibid. 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

and  son  of  the  Count  Admiral  ( Vasco  da  Gama),  to 
be  captain  of  the  fort  and  town  of  Malacca  for  three 
years,  with  six  hundred  thousand  reis  yearly  salary, 
as  soon  as  the  post  should  be  vacant ;  and  directs 
that  D.  Pedro  should  do  homage  for  this  fortress 
according  to  rule,  before  he  departed  from  this  king- 
dom (Portugal). 

Alvaro  d'Ataide,  Gama's  sixth  son,  is  mentioned 
by  Cor^:ea,  tom.  iv,  p.  211,  as  captain  of  the  ship  S. 
Pedro,  which  came  from  Portugal  in  1541  ;  he  was 
imprisoned  for  a  short  time  by  D.  Martim  Afonso  de 
Sousa,  the  governor  who  succeeded  to  Estevan  da 
Gama,  and  again  released  by  him  in  1542.  Diogo 
do  Couto  mentions  him,  Dec.  vi,  lib.  ix,  cap.  19,  as  a 
son  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  who  was  sent  by  the  Vice- 
roy, D.  Afonso  de  Noronha,  as  captain-major  of  the 
Malacca  seae,  as  he  was  to  enter  into  the  captaincy 
of  Majacca  after  his  brother  D.  Pedro  da  Silva  da 
Gama,  who  was  there:  D.  A.  Noronha  succeeded  to 
D.  Jorge  Cabral  in  1550. 

Ay  res  da  Gama,  brother  of  Vasco  da  Gama's 
father,  married  Beatriz  (or  Mecia)  Alvez  Garcia, 
and  had — Estevan,  Sebastian,  Isabel,  Catharina.  The 
eldest  of  these  children,  Estevan,  commanded  some 
ships  under  Vasco  da  Gama  during  his  second  voyage. 

According  to  the  author  o{ Evora  Illustrada,  Padre 
Manuel  Fialho,  whose  work  exists  in  MS.  in  the 
library  of  Evora,  and  an  Imprimatur  for  which  was 
given  on  the  22nd  of  February,  1707,  Vasco  da 
Gama  lived  at  Evora  all  the  time  that  he  was  in 
Portugal  after  his  return  from  his  second  voyage,  and 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

his  sons  were  born  there.  His  house  was  in  a  street 
which  runs  out  of  the  plaza  before  the  west  door  of 
the  cathedral.  It  is  still  shown,  but  has  been  en- 
tirely rebuilt  and  altered  in  appearance.  The  street 
is  named  Rua  das  Casas  Pintadas,  because,  as  Padre 
Fialho  states,  Gama  had  his  house  painted  with  the 
figures  of  Indians  and  Indian  animals  and  plants, 
and  there  was  some  gilding  on  the  walls,  which  was 
said  to  have  been  made  from  gold  which  Gama 
brought  from  India.  Dr.  Simoes,  the  librarian  of 
Evora,  told  me  that  he  had  seen  old  men  who  re- 
membered the  remains  of  these  paintings.  This 
house  was  afterwards  bought  by  the  Inquisition, 
whose  office  stands  almost  close  by  on  the  north  side 
of  the  cathedral.  The  house  of  the  Count  of  Vi- 
mioso,  who  was  one  of  Vasco  da  Gama's  witnesses 
when  he  did  homage  on  his  appointment  as  Viceroy 
of  India, ^  still  exists,  opposite  the  west  door  of  the 
cathedral.  It  no  longer  belongs  to  that  family,  and 
has  been  much  modernised ;  but  the  dwelling  of 
Garcia  Resende,  the  chronicler  of  D.  Joao  II,  is  in  its 
ancient  condition,  with  a  handsome  window  with 
mauresque  arches. 

It  has  not  yet  been  explained, — and  unless  new 
documents  should  be  brought  to  light,  it  will  prob- 
ably never  be  satisfactorily  explained, — why  Vasco 
da  Gama  remained  in  inaction  from  the  time  of  his 
return  from  his  second  voyage  in  1503  till  1524, 
when  he  went  out  to  Goa  as  Viceroy.  Some  Portu- 
guese are  inclined  to  attribute  this  inaction  of  Gama 

^  See  Appendix,  third  document. 


INTRODUCTION.  XVU 

to  his  marriage ;  but  this  does  not  accord  with 
Gama's  character,  and  Magellan's  marriage  little  more 
than  a  year  before  he  sailed  did  not  detain  him  from 
his  enterprise.  The  most  probable  hypothesis  is  that 
Dom  Manuel,  who  is  now  known  to  have  been  of  a  most 
niggardly  disposition,  suspicious  of  his  servants, 
and  very  jealous  of  directing  personally  all  the  de- 
tails of  government,  thought  he  had  recompensed 
Gama  sufficiently,  and  feared  giving  too  much  im- 
portance to  one  of  his  subjects.  What  inclines  me 
to  this  supposition  of  Gama  having  given  umbrage 
to  the  King,  is  the  fact  that  when  he  was  again 
employed,  Don  Manuel  was  dead,  and  another  king 
had  ascended  the  throne  :  also  because  D.  Jayme, 
Duke  of  Braganza,  who  knew  the  justice  with  which 
Gama  complained  of  the  scanty  remuneration  of  his 
services,  spoke  to  the  King  upon  the  matter,  moved 
thereto  only  by  Gama's  great  services,  and  on  that 
account  he  facilitated  the  sale  of  his  towns  of  Vidi- 
gueira  and  Villa  de  Frades  to  Dom  Vasco,  so  that 
the  King  should  give  him  the  title  of  Count  of  the 
former  town.^ 

Vasco  da  Gama  was  buried  in  the  principal  chapel 
of  the  Franciscan  monastery  of  Cochim,  which  was 
probably  dedicated  to  St.  Antony,  as  Correa  and 
Pedro  Barreto  de  Resende  so  name  it.  This  church 
was  blown  up  in  1806  by  the  East  India  Company.^ 
Gama's  body  was  removed  to  Portugal  in  the  year 
1538,   and  deposited  at   Vidigueira.     M,    F.    Denis 

^  Caetano  de  Sousa,  torn,  v,  p.  570. 
2  See  note,  p.  428. 


XVlll  INTRODUCTION. 

states  that  this  tomb  was  violated  by  the  populace 
in  1840.  Gama  is  described  as  having  been  of 
middle  stature,  rather  stout,  and  of  a  florid  complexion. 

In  the  Appendix  will  be  found  the  text  of  several 
inedited  Portuguese  documents ;  it  is  remarkable  how 
few  relating  to  Gama  now  exist.  No  trace  is 
to  be  found  of  a  hst  of  the  crews  of  Gama's  ships, 
which  Correa  says  was  drawn  up,  with  the  names  of 
their  famihes,  and  deposited  in  the  Casa  das  Minas. 
The  Marquis  of  Niza,  the  descendant  and  representa- 
tive of  Vasco  da  Gama,  informed  me  that  there  had 
been  a  docimnent  in  his  family  containing  regulations 
for  the  government  of  India,  with  marginal  notes  by 
Yasco  da  Gama,  but  this  had  been  stolen  in  the  time 
of  his  grandfather.  This  document  would  probably 
be  the  one  mentioned  by  Gaspar  Correa  at  p.  425. 

The  first  document,  dated  January  10,  1502,  is  a 
recapitulation  by  D.  Manuel  of  Gama's  services,  and 
a  donation  to  him  and  to  his  heirs  of  a  revenue 
of  three  hundred  thousand  reis,  to  be  fiu-nished  by  a 
tythe  of  the  fish  of  Sines,  and  out  of  the  taxes  of 
Sines  and  Santiago.  It  also  authorises  him  and  his 
heirs  to  send  two  hundred  cruzados  with  every  royal 
fleet  to  India,  to  be  laid  out  in  merchandise,  which 
should  be  free  of  all  duty  except  a  twentieth  for  the 
Order  of  Christ.-  It  then  grants  the  title  of  Dom  to 
Gama,  and  to  his  brother  A3rres  and  sister  Tareyja. 

A  translation  of  the  fourth  docimient  is  given  as  a 
note  to  Correa's  account  of  the  vice-royalty  of  Gama. 
It  speaks  well  of  his  integrity  and  of  his  justice,  but 
from  the  details  given  by  Correa  he  appears  to  have 


INTRODUCTION.  XIX 

been  too  severe.  An  unmitigated  panegyric  of  Vasco 
da  Gama  will  be  found  in  the  fifth  document,  which 
is  an  inedited  speech  made  by  Diogo  do  Couto,  on 
the  occasion  of  Yasco  da  Gama's  portrait  being  set 
up  in  the  Chamber  of  Goa.  The  date  of  this  speech 
is  not  given,  but  it  appears  from  a  petition  of  the 
town  of  Goa  in  December,  1609,  with  respect  to  the 
re-erection  of  a  statue  to  Gama,  that  the  portrait 
had  been  set  up  several  years  before.  Diogo  do 
Couto  wrote  an  oi;ation  on  the  occasion  of  the  re- 
erection  of  the  statue,  which  it  appears  was  not 
delivered.  It  was  printed  with  some  of  his  inedited 
works  at  Lisbon,  in  1808.  A  statue  of  Gama  had 
been  erected  on  an  arch  near  the  quay  of  the  fortress, 
and  had  been  thrown  down  by  some  private  indi- 
viduals clandestinely  at  night,  at  which  the  King 
had  been  displeased,  and  had  ordered  the  affair  to 
be  inquired  into.  He  at  the  same  time  had  ordered 
the  body  of  D.  Christopher  da  Gama  to  be.  sought 
for  in  Abyssinia,  to  be  sent  for  canonisation.  The 
erection  of  the  second  statue  was  decided  upon  by 
the  Chamber  of  Goa  on  the  9th  of  December,  1609, 
and  sanctioned  on  the  11th  of  December,  1609,  by 
the  Viceroy  D.  Kuy  Lorenzo  de  Tavora,  father-in- 
law  of  D.  Francisco  da  Gama.  Diogo  do  Couto  says 
that  as  America  was  named  after  Vespucci,  so  India 
ought  to  have  been  named  Agama,  to  preserve  the 
name  of  its  discoverer. 

The  sixth  paper  is  a  letter  from  Duarte  Barbosa. 
It  is  principally  a  remonstrance  against  the  miscon- 
duct of  the  Portuguese  in  India,  and  the  violation  of 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

all  the  engagements  made  with  the  King  of  Cananor.^ 
It  also  mentions  the  arrival  of  an  ambassador  from 
Abyssinia  who  was  to  be  sent  to  the  King.  The 
truth  of  his  embassage  was  doubted  because  he  was 
a  Moor. 

The  seventh  letter,  from  King  Manuel  to  Albu- 
querque, is  very  interesting.  It  is  a  detailed  instruc- 
tion ordering  him  to  survey  the  Red  Sea  and  the 
Persian  Gulf,  and  to  get  information  about  the  coun- 
try of  Abyssinia,  to  burn  and  destroy  all  that  he 
might  find  at  Suez,  to  get  information  about  Jiddah 
and  the  distance  to  Mekkah,  and  what  garrison  it 
had. 

From  this  and  the  preceding  letter,  it  appears  that 
Joam  Serrano,  who  in  1512  was  in  the  Java  seas,  was 
in  Portugal  during  the  year  1513. 

Three  extracts  from  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis 
in  Portuguese,  have  been  added  in  the  Appendix, 
one  of  them  being  taken  from  a  Bible  for  the 
modern  Portuguese  in  Ceylon,  in  order  to  show  the 
change  in  the  language  of  the  descendants  of  the 
Portuguese  in  India. 

Vasco  da  Gama  has  usually  been  ranked  with  Co- 
limibus  and  Magellan;  but  the  position  thus  assigned 
to  him  not  only  does  not  belong  to  him,  but  such  an 
estimate  is  an  injustice  to  those  two  great  navigators. 
In  comparing  the  three  men,  the  enterprises  they 
carried  out,  the  difficulties  they  met  with,  and 
the  resoiu-ces  at  their  disposal,  the  greatest  praise 
would  seem  to  be  due  to  Magellan.  However,  both 
'  See  pp.  2r51,  232,  321. 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

Magellan  and  Columbus  originated  the  prospects  of 
their  respective  voyages,  and  induced  foreign  sove- 
reigns to  promote  them,  and  to  accept  of  their  ser- 
vices ;  but  Gama,  as  Correa  and  Camoens  tell  us, 
was  selected  by  Don  Manuel  to  carry  out  a  design 
devised  by  Prince  Henry,  and  which  Don  Manuel 
inherited  when  it  was  already  matured  by  Don  Joan 
II.  Magellan  and  Columbus  commanded  crews  who 
were  not  their  own  countrymen,  proud  men  little 
disposed  to  follow  the  lead  of  a  foreigner,  and,  in 
Magellan's  case,  especially  disinclined  to  obey  a  Por- 
tuguese ;  Gama's  crew  was  entirely  composed  of  his 
own  countrymen,  and  several  of  his  personal  depen- 
dents were  mixed  up  with  them.  Gama's  great  ^ 
quality  was  his  indomitable  constancy,  which  is  set 
forth  in  still  stronger  colours  in  Correa's  narrative 
than  in  other  histories,  and  the  most  pleasing  trait 
in  his  character  is  his  affection  for  his  brother,  though 
it  would  have  been  impossible  not  to  love  Paulo 
da  Gama  ;  but  these  vu'tues  are  detracted  from  by 
his  violent  and  passionate  temper  and  by  the  atro- 
cious cruelties,  worse  than  any  ever  committed  by 
Pizarro,  of  which  he  was  guilty  during  his  second 
voyage.  He  was  able,  however,  when  it  suited  him, 
to  command  his  temper,  and  he  appears  to  have  pos- 
sessed a  large  fund  of  dissimulation.  No  such  stain 
attaches  to  the  names  of  Columbus  and  Magellan  : 
the  latter  lost  his  life  through  his  chivalrous  rashness 
in  refusing  the  assistance  of  his  Indian  allies  in  an 
engagement  with  a  superior  force. 

Moreover,  according  to   popidar  belief,  which  still 


XXU  INTRODUCTION. 

shows  itself  in  books  where  such  ignorance  would  not 
be  expected,  Gama  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first 
navigator  who  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  but 
that  task  had  already  been  accomplished  by  John 
Infante  and  Bartholomew  Dias,  and  Gama  took  with 
with  him  pilots  who  had  accompanied  these  navi- 
gators. 

In  relating  an  event  which  occurred  lq  the  year 
1535,  Correa  gives  a  conversation  of  Vasco  da  Gama's 
which  is  worth  preserving.  There  was  a  certain 
Diogo  Botelho,  a  pilot,  who  was  condemned  to  re- 
main in  India  ;  and  in  1535,  when  the  fortress  of 
Diu  was  commenced  and  the  governor  was  going  to 
send  Simao  Ferreira  with  news  of  it  to  the  King, 
Diogo  Botelho  got  the  start  of  him  and  came  from 
India  to  Portugal  in  a  very  small  fusta  with  six 
slaves  and  five  Portuguese.^  Sunao  Ferreira  left 
India  on  the  20th  November,  twelve  days  later  than 
Botelho,  in  a  caravel  of  150  tons.  Botelho  was  in 
great  straits  for  water  and  provisions,  but  took  in 
some  at  the  island  of  Fayal,  which  he  left  with  three 
hours'  start  of  the  caravel,-  which  had  ordei-s  to  cap- 
tm-e  hun.  Botelho  reached  Lisbon^  twenty  days 
before  Simao  FeiTeira,  and  obtained  his  pardon  from 
the    King,   partly   for   the   good   news,   and   partly 

1  Barros,  Dec.  iv,  lib.  vi,  cap.  14.  He  gives  the  following 
measurements  of  the  fusta :  breadth,  22  spans ;  depth  from  keel 
to  lower  deck,  six  spans  ;  length,  twelve  spans,  probably  a  mis- 
print for  a  hundred  and  twelve  spans,  which  I  am  informed 
would  not  be  a  bad  proportion  of  length  and  breadth. 

2  Barros  gives  him  eight  days'  start. 

■"  He  reached  Lisbon  in  May ;  Barros,  Dec.  iv,  lib.  vi,  cap.  14. 


INTRODUCTION.  XXlil 

through  the  intercession  of  the  Empress,  which  he 
went  to  Castile  to  request.  This  Botelho  was  a 
natural  son  of  Antonio  Real,  who  was  captain  of 
Cochim  in  the  time  of  Francisco  d' Almeida,  and  of  a 
Portuguese  woman  named  Eyria  Pereu-a,  who  brought 
him  up  very  well:  he  learned  piloting  and  cosmo- 
graphy from  a  Dominican  friar  in  Cochhn:  he  then 
went  to  Portugal,  and  was  well  treated  by  the  Kmg, 
who  made  him  a  gentleman,  and  talked  with  him  of 
navigation,  upon  which  Diogo  Botelho  asked  the 
King  to  give  him  the  captaincy  of  Chaul.  The  King 
was  angry,  seeing  that  he  asked  out  of  vanity  what 
he  did  not  deserve  ;  and,  half  laughing,  said  :  Pilots 
do  not  ask  to  be  captains  of  fortresses.  He  replied  : 
Sire,  I  studied  and  learned  so  as  to  deserve  it;  and 
if  in  that  manner  I  have  lost,  will  you  do  me  the 
favour  which  I  beg  on  my  own  account,  and  for  the 
services  which  I  have  rendered.  The  King  said  : 
Do  not  be  in  a  hurry,  for  it  is  not  time  yet.  He  did 
not  reply  to  this,  and  going  out  into  the  ante- 
chamber, D.  Antonio,  the  privy  clerk,  asked  him  if 
the  King  had  despatched  his  business.  He  said  : 
Sir,  I  will  look  out  for  a  good  despatch  myself  This 
having  been  repeated  to  the  King,  he  ordered  him 
to  be  well  shut  up  in  the  castle  of  Lisbon,  so  that  he 
should  not  run  away  to  Castile,  and  do  as  Magellan 
had  done.  There  he  remained  a  prisoner,  and  some 
of  his  friends  disabused  hun  of  his  vanity  as  a  pilot, 
which  had  broucrht  him  to  where  he  was.  Thus  he 
remained  until  D.  Vasco  da  Gama  sailed  for  India  as 
Viceroy    (in    l.)24),   and   being  much  entreated   by 


XXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

some  gentlemen,  he  begged  the  King  to  give  Botelho 
up  to  him.  The  King  gave  him  to  him  to  take  with 
him  to  India,  whence  he  was  not  to  return  to  Por- 
tugal without  the  King's  leave.  The  Viceroy  took 
him  out  in  his  ship  as  he  was  also  a  pilot;  and  at 
times  conversing  in  the  ship,  the  Viceroy  used  to 
say  that  if  the  King  had  ordered  Magellan's  head  to 
be  cut  off  when  he  was  ruffled  because  his  palace 
stipend  was  not  increased,  he  would  not  have  done 
to  him  what  he  did.  "But  all  men  who  are  very  good 
as  pilots  have  mad  fancies  ;  and  you,  Diogo  Botelho, 
have  lost  yourself  through  that  ;  therefore  do  you 
make  amends  with  good  services,  because  the  King 
will  grant  you  favours,  and  I  will  do  so  also." 

This  shews  the  feelings  which  Gama  entertained 
against  Magellan,  even  after  his  death,  and  the  httle 
regard  that  he  felt  for  the  art  and  science  of  naviga- 
tion. 

Camoens  was  not  blind  to  the  shortcomings  of 
Gama,  and  at  the  end  of  the  fifth  cgjito  represents 
him  as  an  uncultivated,  unlettered  man,  where  he 
says  : 

"  Let  Gama  thank  the  Muses  that  their  zeal 
For  Lusitania's  honour  bids  them  sound 
His  name,  accordant  to  the  just  appeal 
Of  strenuous  deeds  that  claim  to  be  renown'd. 
For  neither  they  of  Pindus'  echoing  hill 
NorTejo's  nymphs  in  Vasco's  race  have  found 
Such  friends,  that  these  should  leave  their  grottos  dim, 
And  woofs  of  golden  twine,  to  sing  of  him." 

QUILLI^AN. 

As  the  reader  s  judgment  with  respect  to  Vasco  da 
Gama  and  the   men  of  his  time  is  liable  to  be  led 


INTllODUCTION.  XXV 

astray  by  the  glorious  strains  of  Camoens,  and  by 
the  recital  of  the  great  and  valiant  deeds  performed 
by  a  handful  of  men  from  a  small  country,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  present  another  pictiu^e  of  him  and  his  com- 
panions, drawn  by  a  master-hand. 

"  But  I  had  another  reason,  which  made  me  less 
forward  to  enlarge  his  Majesty's  dominions  by  my 
discoveries.  To  say  the  truth,  I  had  conceived  a  few 
scruples  with  relation  to  the  distributive  justice  of 
princes  upon  those  occasions.  For  instance,  a  crew 
of  pirates  are  driven  by  a  storm  they  know  not 
whither ;  at  length  a  boy  discovers  land  from  the 
top-mast ;  they  go  on  shore  to  rob  and  plunder  ;  they 
see  an  harmless  people,  are  entertained  with  kindness; 
they  give  the  country  a  new  name  ;  they  take  formal 
possession  of  it  for  the  King  :  they  set  up  a  rotten 
plank  or  a  stone  for  a  memorial ;  they  murder  two 
or  three  dozen  of  the  natives,  bring  away  a  couple 
more  by  force  for  a  sample,  return  home  and  get 
their  pardon.  Here  commences  a  new  dominion,  ac- 
quired with  a  title  by  Divine  right.  Ships  are  sent 
with  the  first  opportunity;  the  natives  driven  out  or 
destroyed  ;  their  princes  tortured  to  discover  their 
gold  ;  a  free  licence  given  to  all  acts  of  inhumanity 
and  lust,  the  earth  reeking  with  the  blood  of  its  in- 
habitants ;  and  this  execrable  crew  of  butchers  em- 
ployed in  so  pious  an  expedition,  is  a  modern  colony, 
sent  to  convert  and  civilise  an  idolatrous  and  bar- 
barous people."^ 

The  most  noble  and  worthy  character  in  this  story 
^  It   is  a  tribute  to  the  satire  of  Swift  that  this   pai'ugraph 


XXVI  INTllODUCTION. 

is  that  of  Paulo  da  Gama  ;  he  was  a  most  loveable 
man,  of  a  gentle  disposition,  yet  capable  of  as  much 
resolution,  and  as  ready  to  incur  any  hazard  as  the 
boldest  of  his  companions.  All  the  traits  handed  down 
of  him,  and  the  speeches  reported  by  Correa  shew 
that  he  was  of  the  same  nature  as  Bayard.  He  was 
an  exception  to  the  other  men  of  his  age  and  nation, 
whose  ferocity  was  stimulated  by  the  desire  of  gain ; 
on  this  account  it  was  fittmg  that  he  should  have 
been  removed  from  the  scenes  of  bloodshed  and 
rapine  in  which  his  countrymen  were  shortly  after- 
wards engaged,  and  no  more  appropriate  resting- 
place  could  have  been  chosen  for  him  than  the  island 
of  Terceira,  one  of  the  few  spots  upon  the  earth 
which  was  then  unstained  with  human  blood.  He 
was  buried  within  the  church  of  the  Franciscan 
monastery  in  the  town  of  Angra,  under  a  slab  of 
marble,  as  a  Portuguese  writer  says,  like  his  pure 
name.  No  inscription  was  put  upon  this  tomb,  and 
the  form  of  the  church  ha  vino;  been  altered  when  it 
was  restored,  the  exact  spot  where  Paulo  da  Gama 
rests  is  unknown. 

"  How  easy  for  the  dead  a  home  to  find ; 
And,  as  for  ours,  for  all  that  wandering  die, 
A  nameless  sand-hill,  any  bubbling  wave, 
Will  serve  the  low  or  lofty  for  a  grave." 

Camoens,  Quillinari's  Translation. 

has  been  omitted  by  his  Spanish  translator,  who  evidently 
thought  it  aimed  at  his  own  country,  and  did  not  see  that  the 
next  paragraph  excluding  England  was  ironical ;  and  he  has 
altered  Swift's  expression,  "  Who  may  be  an  example  to  the 
whole  world,"  from  the  conditional,  to  the  positive. 


INTRODUCTION.  XXVll 

Nicolas  Coelho  went  again  to  India  on  the  25tli  of 
Marcli,  of  1500,  as  captain  of  one  of  the  ships  of  the 
fleet  of  Pedralvares  Cabral,  and  returned  to  Lisbon 
towards  the  end  of  the  year  1501.  From  a  docu- 
ment in  the  Torre  do  Tombo,  Corp.  ChronoL,  part  ii, 
ma^o  7,  doc.  83,  he  appears  to  have  married  Beatriz 
Rodriguez.  The  document  written  on  parchment 
runs  thus  : 

"  Order  of  the  King,  D.  Manuel,  to  his  almoxarife 
of  the  paso  de  madeiras  of  Lisbon,  in  1503,  to  pay 
to  Nicolas  Coelho,  fidalgo  of  his  house,  twenty  thou- 
sand reis,  which  he  had  granted  him  with  a  habit  of 
Christ.     Lisbon,  March  31,  1503. 

(Signed)  "  D.  Pedro  de  Castro." 

Below  this  is  written. 

"  Beatriz  Rodriguez,  wife  of  Nicolas  Coelho,  owns 
to  having  received  from  Lopez  Fernandez,  the  almo- 
xarife, 20,000  rs.,  mentioned  in  this  letter,  which  she 
received  in  virtue  of  a  power-of-attorney  given  by 
her  husband." 

From  a  passage  in  Correa's  narrative  (p.  GO),  Nico- 
las Coelho  appears  to  have  been  married  some  time 
before  he  sailed  with  Gama  in  his  first  voyage. 

Next  in  rank  after  Camoens,  among  those  who 
took  part  in,  or  celebrated  the  deeds  of,  the  first 
Portuguese  in  Asia,  comes  Osorio,  the  bishop  of 
Silves,  and  historian  of  the  deeds  of  Don  Manuel. 
He  has  been  accused  in  modern  times  of  having 
simply  translated  into  Latin  the  history  of  Damian 
de  Goes,  and  in  short  of  being  a  plagiarist.  This 
•iccusation  cainiot  be  sustained  for  a  moment  :  in  tlio 


Xxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

first  place  the  bishop,  in  his  preface  or  dedication  to 
the  cardinal  Prince  Henry,  brother  of  D.  Sebastian, 
openly  avows  his  obligations  to  Damian  de  Goes,  in 
the  following  words  :  "  Ut  autem  id  facilius  exequi 
possem,  Damianus  Goes  prsestitit.  Is  enim  magno 
labore,  vigilantia,  et  industria  ea  ex  quam  plurimis 
epistolis  et  commentariis  eruit,  et  monumentis  suis 
memoriae  commeiidavit  quae  ego  minime  potuissem 
sine  summo  otio  perscrutari."  In  the  next  place 
Osorio's  history  is  all  his  own,  through  the  lofty  sen- 
timents by  which  it  rises  far  above  the  chronicle  of 
Goes  :  for  instance  where  Osorio  has  the  following 
fine  passage  in  condemnation  of  the  cruel  persecution 
of  the  Jews  and  their  forcible  conversion :  "However, 
that  (the  persecution)  was  done  neither  in  accordance 
with  law  nor  with  religion.  How,  indeed,  would 
you  compel  rebellious  hearts,  in  nowise  bound  by 
having  accepted  a  religion,  to  believe  those  things 
which  they  despise  and  reject  with  the  greatest  aver- 
sion ?  Do  you  take  upon  yourself  to  hinder  the 
freedom  of  the  will,  and  to  impose  bonds  upon  un- 
fettered minds  ?  But  that  cannot  be  done,  neither 
does  the  most  holy  spirit  of  Christ  approve  of  it. 
For  He  seeks  a  voluntary  sacrifice,  not  one  enforced 
by  evil  violence,  and  bids  that  the  wills  of  men  should 
be  allured  and  invited  to  the  desire  of  the  true  re- 
ligion." Goes  says  :  "  It  is  certain  that  this  work  of 
making  the  Jews  to  turn  Christians  was  worthy  of 
much  praise," 

Osorio  never  fails  to  condemn  whatever  was  blame- 
able   in  the   acts   of  his   countrymen,  and   docs   no 


INTRODUCTION.  XXIX 

suffer  his  judgment  to  be  blinded  by  the  passions  of 
the  age.  Thus  he  is  very  severe  upon  the  conduct 
of  Gonsalvo  Vaz  Goes,  who,  in  1507,  sunk  an  Arab 
ship  after  plundering  it  and  sewing  up  the  crew  in 
the  sails,  notwithstanding  that  the  Arabs  had  not 
attempted  to  defend  themselves,  and  had  shewn  the 
safe-conduct  given  them  by  Lorenzo  Brito  the  governor 
of  the  fortress  of  Cananor,  and  without  which  they 
would  not  have  put  to  sea,  for  the  Portuguese  allowed 
no  vessel  to  sail  on  the  Indian  seas  without  their  pass- 
port. The  viceroy  Almeida  was  indignant  at  the  con- 
duct of  Goes,  deprived  him  of  his  post,  and  did  not 
after  that  restore  him  to  favour.  Damian  de  Goes  men- 
tions this  event,  and  blames  slightly  the  cruelty  of 
Gonzalo  Vaz  Goes,  but  with  nothing  to  compare  with 
the  energy  of  Osorio, 

Barros  attempts  to  justify  this  practice  of  the 
Portuguese  of  intercepting  all  ships  sailing  without 
their  passport,  and  says,  (decade  i,  liv.  vi,  cap.  i,)  in 
explanation  of  the  title  assumed  by  D.  Manuel  after 
the  return  of  Cabral  in  1501,  of  Lord  of  the  Naviga- 
tion, Conquest,  and  Commerce  of  Ethiopia,  Arabia, 
Persia,  and  India.  "  As  to  navigation,  the  power  of 
our  fleets  was  always  so  great  in  those  eastern  parts, 
that  as  we  were  masters  of  its  seas,  whoever  wished 
to  navigate,  whether  Gentile  or  Moor,  in  order  to  do 
so  securely  and  peacefully,  asked  for  a  safe-conduct 
from  our  captains  out  there,  which  they  commonly 
3all  Cartaz  ;  and  if  this  infidel  is  found,  not  proceed- 
ing from  places  where  we  have  fortresses,  or  which 
ire  in  our  friendship,  with  just  title  we  may  captiire 


XXX  INTRODUCTION. 

him  as  a  fair  prize  of  war.  For  although  by  common 
right  the  seas  are  common,  and  open  to  all  navigators, 
and  also  by  the  same  right  we  are  obliged  to  give 
conservation  to  the  property  which  each  one  may 
bring  into  our  presence,  because  it  suits  him  to  go 
that  way,  not  having  any  other  public  way,  yet  this 
law  has  force  only  in  all  Europe,  among  the  Christian 
flock ;  which,  as  by  faith  and  baptism,  it  is  con- 
tained in  the  bosom  of  the  Roman  church,  so  in  the 
government  of  its  policy  it  is  ruled  by  Roman  law. 
Not  that  the  Christian  kings  and  princes  are  subject 
to  this  imperial  law,  especially  this  kingdom  of  ours 
of  Portugal,  and  others  which  are  drawn  close  to  the 
Pope  by  obedience,  and  not  on  account  of  being  his  feu- 
datories ;  but  they  accept  these  laws  inasmuch  as  they 
are  just  and  conformable  to  reason,  which  is  the 
mother  of  law.  But  with  respect  to  these  Moors 
and  Gentiles,  who  are  outside  the  law  of  Christ  Jesus, 
which  is  the  true  law,  which  every  man  is  obhged  to 
hold  and  keep,  under  pain  of  being  condemned  to 
eternal  fire  :  since  they  are  condemned  in  the  prin- 
cipal part,  which  is  the  soul,  that  part  of  them  which  it 
animates  cannot  be  privileged  with  the  benefits  of 
our  laws,  because  they  are  not  members  of  the  evan- 
gelical congregation,  although  they  are  near  to  it  as 
rational  beings,  and  are,  as  long  as  they  live,  in  the 
possibility  and  way  of  being  able  to  enter  into  it. 
And  even  conforming  ourselves  with  the  common 
right  itself,  not  speaking  of  these  Moors  and  Gen- 
tiles, who  have  lost  this  faculty  from  not  receiving  our 
holy  faith,  yet  any  member  of  it  (our  faith)  cannot 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXI 

claim  preservation  in  those  eastern  parts  ;  because 
before  our  entrance  into  India,  by  which  we  took 
possession  of  it,  there  was  no  one  there  who  had  any 
property  inherited  or  conquered  ;  and  where  there  is 
no  preceding  right  of  action,  there  is  no  present  or 
future  right  of  safeguard.  Because  as  every  act,  to 
continue  itself  for  a  long  time,  requires  a  natural 
origin,  so  legal  action  to  be  just  depends  upon  an 
origin  of  preceding  justice,  which  in  common  right  is 
a  universal  centre,  with  which  all  the  acts  of  men 
must  concur,  who  live  according  to  the  law  of  God." 
This  passage  of  Barros  deserves  the  attention  of 
the  reader,  and  calls  for  some  examination,  since  his 
line  of  argument  has  been  extensively  acted  upon,^ 
and  perhaps  still  exercises  a  certain  influence ;  and  in 
the  first  place  it  may  be  observed  that  intolerant 
propositions  like  the  above  are  to  be  found  almost 
always  more  frequently  in  the  pages  of  Jay  historians 
such  as  Barros,  Diogo  do  Couto,  Damian  de  Goes, 
and  others,  than  in  the  writings  of  ecclesiastics  such 
as  Osorio  and  San  Roman.  This  proposition  of  Bar- 
ros is  wrong  in  theology  as  well  as  in  international 
law,  for  since  in  Christian  theology,  the  grace  of  God,  or 
the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  avail  and  profit  the  souls  of 
all  men,  including  Pagans^  who  have  never  heard  of 

^  Similar  sentiments  are  to  be  found  in  Coke's  Reports,  Calvin's 
case,  vol.  iv,  p.  29,     They  were  condemned  by  Lord  Mansfield. 

^  Proposition  IV. — God  gives  to  all  unbelievers,  even  negative 
ones,  according  to  time  and  place,  sufficient  grace  for  their  sal- 
vation. Those  are  named  negative  unbelievers  who  have  never 
heard  speak  of  the  faith ;  and  those  are  named  positive  unbe- 
lievers who,  having    knowledge    of  the  faith,  have  not  chosen 


XXX 11  INTRODUCTION. 

revealed  religion;  these  Pagans  cannot  on  the  grounds 
assigned  by  Barros  be  excluded  from  the  temporal 
benefits  of  Christian  law  by  those  who  enjoy  the  full 
benefits  of  Christianity.  This  erroneous  proposition 
has  been  perpetuated  by  modern  writers,  who,  how- 
ever, substitute  for  the  terms  Christianity  and  Pa- 
ganism, those  of  civilisation  and  barbarism.  This  is 
one  of  the  propositions  that  calls  for  the  condemnation 
of  a  diplomatic  college  at  Rome. 

Osorio  blames  the  cruelty  of  Almeida  in  torturing 
and  executing  the  prisoners  taken  at  the  second 
battle  of  Diu,  who,  he  says,  having  become  his  slaves 

to  embrace  it,  or  have  renounced  it.  These  cannot  be  in  ques- 
tion. The  discussion,  therefore,  only  bears  upon  the  former. 
Not  only  all  the  Jansenists,  but  there  are  also  some  Catholic 
theologians,  who  maintain  that  these  unbelievers  are  deprived  of 
all  kind  of  sufficient  grace,  either  near,'  immediate,  or  distant. 
It  is  against  these  that  we  have  laid  down  the  proposition, 
which  we  have  just  pronounced,  and  which  we  maintain  as 
certain. 

Alexander  VIII  has  condemned  the  following  proposition, 
whicli  is  the  fifth  : — "  Pagans,  Jews,  heretics,  and  others  of  the 
same  kind  do  not  receive  any  assistance  from  Jesus  Christ ;  it 
may  thence  be  justly  concluded  that  their  will  is  alone  and 
unarmed,  without  any  sufficient  grace."  Clement  XI  has  also 
proscribed  the  following  propositions  of  Quesnel,  to'  wit,  26  : 
"Without  the  faith  no  grace  is  received;"  27:  "The  faith  is 
the  first  grace,  and  is  the  source  of  all  the  others ;  "  29  :  "  No 
grace  is  granted  outside  of  the  Church."  Catholic  doctrine 
teaches,  therefore,  that  Pagans,  Jews,  etc.,  receive  sufficient 
grace,  that  graces  are  received  before  the  faith,  and  that  those 
who  have  known  it,  like  those  who  have  never  beard  speak  of 
it,  receive  them,  since  these  propositions  of  Quesnel  have  beeri 
condemned  in  the  sense  of  the  author. — Dogmatic  Theology  of  iJl. 
P.  Perrone,  vol.  iii,  p.  023.  From  the  French  Translationi, 
Paris,  1800. 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXUl 

by  the  fortune  of  war,  ought  to  have  ohtained  his  pro- 
tection. Damian  de  Goes  does  not  express  himself 
with  the  same  generosity  as  the  bishop,  though  he 
blames  the  exceeding  cruelty  of  Almeida,  "  who  blew 
his  prisoners  from  guns  before  Cananor,  saluting  the 
town  with  their  fragments,  so  that  it  seems  that  God 
chose  to  chastise  him  by  his  death  at  the  hands  of 
the  most  barbarous  people  that  were  known."  Osorio 
is  also  very  judicious  in  his  account  of  the  death  of 
Francisco  d' Almeida,  who  was  killed  by  the  Caffres 
on  the  1st  of  March,  of  1510.  The  dispute  arose 
through   some   Portuguese,  who   were   watering  the 

It  is  often  asserted  that  tolerant  opinions,  such  as  the  preced- 
ing, are  only  due  to  the  influence  of  the  present  age,  and  that 
opinions  such  as  those  of  Barros  and  Coke,  and  those  embodied 
in  the  Portuguese  instructions  to  Pedralvares  Cabral  in  1500 
(see  p.  18G)  were  general  in  the  age  in  which  they  lived,  whereby 
it  is  sought  to  excuse  tenets  and  practices  equally  reproved  by 
all  religions.  Neither  of  these  assertions  can  be  maintained,  for 
the  present  century  is  no  better  than  that  of  Barros,  and  the 
seizure  of  territory  is  now  constantly  proposed  with  even  less 
show  of  pretext  than  in  former  times,  for  it  is  advocated  merely 
on  grounds  of  expediency  :*  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  opinions 
of  Las  Casas  in  1542,  that  of  Osorio  in  1571  (quoted  at  p.  xxviii), 
that  of  the  confessor  of  Phil'p  III  in  1609  (De  Morga,  p.  418, 
Hakluyt  Society),  and  that  of  Honore  Bonnor,  prior  of  Salon  in 
1400,  disprove  the  assertion  that  Barros  and  Coke  are  to  be 
taken  as  correct  exponents  of  the  ideas  of  right  and  wrong  pre- 
vailing in  their  time — ideas  which  cannot  vary  much  for  men  of 
learning  who  really  seek  to  distinguish  right  from  wrong.  The 
following  is  Bonnor's  opinion  from  UArhre  des  Batailles  (MSS. 
B.  Museum,  Reg.  20,  C  viii) ;  this  book  was  composed  by  order 
of  Charles  VI  for  the  Dauphin. 

"Firstly,  if  it  be    desired  to  prove  how  war  ought  not  to  be 

*    Grpater  Brltnin,  vol.  ii,  391,  392. 


XXXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

ships,  attempting  to  carry  off  a  Caffre,  who  resisted, 
and  was  rescued  by  his  countrymen.     The  Portu- 
guese related  the  matter  to  Almeida  differently  from 
the  manner  in  which  it  happened,  and  Osorio  blames 
Almeida  for  allowing  himself  to  be  persuaded  to  land 
and  avenge  this  trifling  offence,  notwithstanding  that 
some  represented   that  no  glory  or  advantage  could 
be  got  from  victory,  and  that  it  was  not  clear  through 
whose  fault   the   offence  complained   of  had   arisen. 
Almeida  accordingly  landed  "  as   though  the  safety 
or   dignity  of  the  Portuguese  had  been  involved  in 
obtaining  revenge."     Almeida  and  sixty-five  Portu- 
guese were  killed  by  naked  and  ill-amied  men,  and 
the  royal  standard  narrowly  escaped  capture.   Osorio 
says  of  this  event  :  "It  was  believed  that  these  men 
had  suffered  this  chastisement  by  Divine  judgment, 
because   that  they  had  borne  themselves  very  inso- 
lently in  prosperity,  and  without  moderation  in  vic- 
tory, but  too  frequently  had  used  it  with  cruelty  to- 
made  ngainst  infidels,  the  reason  is  this  :   all  the  good  things  of 
the  earth  have  been  made  by  God  for  human  creatures,  for  bad 
persons  as   for  the   good.     For   God   has   never  made   the  sun 
hotter   or  more   beneficent   for  one   than   for  another,   and   He 
makes  it  to  shine  upon  good  men  and  upon  the  evil.     And  also 
He   causes  good  corn  and  good  wine  and  other  good  fruits  to 
grow  in  the  lands  of  the  infidels,  as  in  those  of  the  Christians, 
and   sometimes  even   bettor,   and   He   gives  them  science,  and 
natural  knowledge  of  virtue  and  of  justice;  and  moreover  He 
has  given  them  kingdoms  and  duchies  and  counties,  and  emperors 
in  their  own  faith  and  condition.      If,  then,  God  has  given  them 
these  things,  why  should  Christians  take  them  from  them?    Since, 
according  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  we  ouglit  not  and  cannot  compel 
nor  force  an  unbeliever  to  take  the  holy  faith  or  ba{)tism,  but  we 
must  leave  them  in  their  free  will  which   God  has  given  them  ; 
theroibre,  if  we  cannot  make  war  upon  them  to  impose  the  holy 
faith,  how  should  we  be  able   to  make  war  upon  them  for  the 
sake  of  the  property  which  they  possess.     Certainly  reason  never 
shewed  such  a  thing."      (Pt.  iv,  c.  0.) 


INTRODUCTION".  XXXV 

wards  the  vanquished."  Damian  de  Goes  has  none  of 
the  bishop's  reflections  upon  the  folly  of  considering 
the  honour  of  Portugal  involved  in  a  dispute  with 
savages,  who  perhaps  had  not  been  the  first  offenders  ; 
but  he  takes  the  opportunity  to  say,  men  should  be 
moderate,  since  as  they  conquer  so  they  may  be  con- 
quered, and  led  captive  as  they  have  led  others 
captive. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1596,  Essex,  after  sacking 
Cadiz,  went  to  Faro,  whence  he  carried  off"  the  library 
which  had  belonged  to  Osorio.  Two  hundred  and 
twenty-two  volumes,  supposed  to  be  these  of  Osorio, 
were  deposited  by  Devereux  in  the  Bodleian  Library, 
where  they  are  still  preserved.  Speed  says  the 
books  in  the  bishop's  hbrary  were  valued  at  a  thou- 
sand marks.  They  are  almost  entirely  theological 
works.  Some  Portuguese  writers  complain  of  this 
act  of  plunder,  which  they  describe  as  piratical  :  the 
example  followed  had  however  been  first  set  by  Por- 
tuguese captains. 

Before  taking  leave  of  Osorio,  it  may  be  as  well  to 
add  that  he  supplies  all  the  confirmation  that  was 
required  for  Varthema.  In  pp.  123,  266,  274,  280 
of  that  volume,  which  is  one  of  the  best  of  the 
Hakluyt  Society's  publications,  the  editor  has  been 
at  some  trouble  in  the  notes  in  reconciling  Var- 
thema's  dates.  Osorio  confirms  these,  and  also  the 
figures  given  by  Varthema  of  the  numbers  of  the 
fleets  of  Calecut  and  Portugal.  According  to  Osorio, 
Almeida  sailed  from  Lisbon  in  1505,  passed  the  Cape 
in  J\me,  and  anchored  at  Anchediva  on  the   13th  of 


XXXvi  rXTRODUCTIOX. 

September.  In  the  same  year  he  erected  a  foit  at 
Coulam,  and  another  at  Cananor.  A  httle  fm-ther  on 
(apparently  during  the  year  1506,)  he  says:  "At  this 
time  there  came  to  Lorenzo  d'Almeida  a  certain  Ita- 
han,  a  native  of  Bologna,  named  Ludovic  Vuai-tman, 
who  had  wandered  over  many  countries  from  the  desu'e 
of  seeing  the  world,  and  at  length,  under  the  dress  of 
a  merchant, — since  he  feigned  to  be  a  Moor, — he  had 
come  to  Calecut."  Osorio  then  relates  the  negotiations 
of  Varthema  with  the  Milanese,  their  intended  flight, 
and  death.  He  also  states  that  the  fleet  prepared 
by  the  people  of  Calecut  consisted  of  eighty  large 
ships  and  a  hundred  and  twenty-four  paraos.  Lo- 
renzo d'Almeida  went  against  this  fleet  with  eleven 
ships,  carrying  eight  hundred  Portuguese  soldiers. 
The  action  took  place  before  Cananor.  Lorenzo 
attacked  the  enemy's  flag-ship,  and  was  several 
times  baffled  in  casting  the  grappling-irons  upon 
it.  Osorio  says  only  six  Portuguese  fell  in  battle. 
Lorenzo  then  betook  himself  to  Cananor,  and  was 
received  by  the  King  with  great  demonstrations  of 
rejoicing,  and  with  no  small  admiration  of  his 
valour. 

The  siege  of  the  fort  of  Cananor,  related  by  Var- 
thema, took  place  in  1507,  and  arose  out  of  the 
treachery  and  cruelty  committed  by  Gonsalvo  Yaz 
Goes  upon  the  Cananor  ship,  which  was  protected  by 
the  safe-conduct  of  Brito,  the  commandant  of  the 
fort,  as  has  been  above  related. 

Damian  de  Goes  mentions  the  arrival  of  Luis 
Vuart.mun,    and  ot  D.    TiOrenzo  sending  him   to  re- 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXVll 

cover  the  two  Milanese,  He  also  says  (cap.  xxiv) 
that  Vartema  was  knighted  by  the  Viceroy  d' Al- 
meida, and  came  to  this  kingdom  (Portugal)  with 
Tristan  da  Cnnha,  and  wi^ote  this  battle  (of  Panane) 
in  his  Itinerary. 

Damian  da  Goes  wrote  in  1541  another  work  be- 
sides that  which  formed  the  groundwork  of  the 
history  of  the  Bishop  of  Silves  ;  this  work,  entitled 
Hispania,  was  written  in  Latin.  The  Univers  Pit- 
toresque,  vol.  Portugal,  p.  219,  has  made  a  mistake 
in  quoting  from  this  work,  and  states  on  the  autho- 
rity of  Goes  that  twenty-two  thousand  negroes  were 
annually  imported  into  Portugal ;  the  number  should 
be  ten  or  twelve  thousand,  and  the  words  of  Goes 
are :  "  Singulis  annis  ex  Nigritarum  regnis  dedu- 
cuiitur  Ulisiponem  decem,  duodecimque  milHa  manci- 
piorum,  praeter  alia  ex  Mauritania,  India  Brasiliaque 
advecta,  quae  singula  passim  decem,  viginti,  quadra- 
ginta,  quinquagintaque  aureis  ducatis  venduntur." 
(Hispania,  p.  103,  Coimbra,  1791.)  The  Univers 
Pittoresque  also  says  that  Bosmithal  (about  1466) 
and  Blathner,  a  Hungarian  prince,  caused  a  smile  to 
be  raised  at  theu*  request  for  two  Ethiopian  slaves  ; 
the  brother  of  Affonso  V  replied  with  disdain  : 
"  Those  are  trifles  which  do  not  require  the  asking." 
Finally,  under  D.  Manuel  and  Joan  III,  the  slaves 
overran  Lisbon  and  all  the  principal  towns  of  Portu- 
gal. These  facts  should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  smce  it 
has  been  customary  most  unjustly  to  charge  the  good 
Las  Casas  with  being  the  author  of  the  African 
slave  trade  ;  and  Mr.   Major,  in  his  admirable  Life 


XXXviii  INTRODUCTION. 

of  F^'incG  Henry,  at  p.    187,  has  rather  too   much 
attempted  to  palliate  the  conduct  of  the  Portuguese  in 
this  respect.^    It  has  been  usual  to  charge  the  horrors 
of  the  middle  passage  upon  the  British  cruisers,  sent, 
under  the  directions  of  Lord  Palmerston  and  Lord 
Aberdeen,    to   intercept   slavers ;   but   those  hoiTors 
date  from    the    beginning,  as  may  be   sho^%ii   by  a 
docmnent  dated  October  '24,  151-2,  in  the  Torre  do 
Tombo,  (Xo.  26,  Maco  2  de  Leis.)  which  contains  a 
complaint   of  the   people   of  Santiago,    Cape   Verde 
Islands,  of  the  law  which  limited  the  impoi-tation  of 
slaves  to  the  port  of  Lisbon,  because  they  get  less 
for  them,  and  *"  slaves  are  a  merchandise  of  risk,  for 
very   many   of  them   die."     The   petition   gives  the 
followhig   example  of  a  vessel  which  made  the  port. 
of  Setubal,  and  in  consequence  of  this  law  had  to  go 
to  Lisbon.      In  douio-  this  it   was  blown  out  to  sea 
and  detamed  six  days.      During  these  delavs  "  four- 
teen  slaves  died,  to  the  great  loss  of  theu"  owners.  " 
This  vessel  carried  a  hmidred  slaves. 

The  name  that  Gama  has  left  in  liistory  he  owes 
almost  entirely  to  the  o-reat  o-enius  of  Camoens.  It 
is  owing  to  his  being  the  protagonist  of  the  LxsiacI 
that  he  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  the  most  remark- 
able  man  of  Portugal,  in  preference  to  Prince  Henry, 
Fernando  the  Constant  Prince,  Mairellan,  the  two 
Almeidas,  Albuquerque,  or  Camoens  himself      It  is, 

^  Robinson  Crusoe  does  not  agree  with  his  distinction  between 
regrettable  and  execrable,  for  he  says  :  ''  Perhaps  a  Portuguese 
is  not  a  much  bettor  master  than  a  Turk,  if  not,  in  some  cases, 
a  much  worse." 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXIX 

therefore,  impossible  to  speak  of  Vasco  da  Gama 
without  referring  to  that  great  poet  and  making  a 
few  observations  upon  the  Lusiad,  avoiding  as  much 
as  possible  what  has  been  said  before. 

The  Lusiad  has  been  called  the  epic  of  commerce. 
Gaspar  Correa's  narrative  sets  forth  still  more 
strongly  that  commerce  was  the  sole  object  D, 
Manuel  and  Gama  had  before  them  ;  and  it  is  not 
a  pleasing  picture  which  he  unconsciously  draws 
of  the  low  chicanery  and  deceit  to  which  the  Portu- 
guese captains  were  brought  by  the  greed  of  com- 
mercial gains.  The  benefits  which  the  States  of  India 
were  to  receive  through  commerce  with  Portugal  are 
set  forth  in  the  most  glowing  terms,  and  in  modern 
phraseology  ;  yet  within  a  very  few  years  we  find,  on 
the  testimony  of  the  Portuguese,  that  the  Kings  of 
Melinde  and  Cananor,  who  had  befriended  them,  and 
to  whom  they  had  sworn  everlasting  brotherhood  and 
amity,  were  driven,  by  the  misconduct  of  the  Portu- 
guese, to  desu-e  to  abandon  their  kingdoms  and  with- 
draw into  retirement.  As  early  as  1505,  Francisco 
d'Almeida  obtained  leave  to  erect  a  fort  at  Cananor  ; 
but  the  Portuguese  were  prepared  to  have  done  this 
without  permission,  for  the  fort  was  speedily  erected, 
because,  as  Osorio  relates,  Gil  Barbosa  had  ah-eady 
laid  its  foundations,  keeping  silence  as  to  its  being  a 
fort,  and  giving  out  that  it  was  intended  for  a  spa- 
cious house.  In  1525  D.  Enrique  de  Meneses  built 
a  waU  round  Cochini,  in  spite  of  the  King,  and  of 
the  remonstrances  of  certain  Portuguese  who  urged 
that  the  King  of  Portugal   would  be  displeased  at 


xl  INTRODUCTION. 

such  an  infrmgemerit  of  his  obligations  to  the  King 
of  Cochim. 

This  conduct  of  the  Portuguese  contrasts  very  ill 
with  that  of  the  Arabs,  who  had  been  carrying  on 
commerce  with  Malabar  for  six  hundred  years,  with- 
out ever  attempting  to  subjugate  the  country  or 
interfere  with  the  inhabitants  ;  not  even  when  they 
had  converted  the  King  of  Malabar,  as  Camoens 
relates  it  : 

"  But  certain  strangers  coming  to  this  ream 
From  Mecha  in  the  Gulf  of  Arabie, 
Who  brought  the  Law  of  Mahomet  with  them, 
(In  which  ray  parents  educated  me,) 
It  so  befell,  with  their  great  skill,  and  stream 
Of  eloquence,  these  to  that  hot  degree 

This  Perimal  unto  their  Faith  did  win, 

That  he  proposed  to  dye  a  saint  therein. 

"  Ships  he  provides,  and  therein  (curious) 
For  oflTrings  lades  his  richest  merchandise  ; 
To  turn  mont^stick,  and  religious, 
There,  where  our  legislative  Prophet  lies. 
Having  no  Heir,  left  of  the  royal  house  ; 
Before  he  parted,  he  did  cantonize 

His  realm.     Those  servants  he  lov'd  best,  he  brings 
From  want,  to  wealth  ;  from  subjects,  to  be  kings." 

Fanshaw. 

Camoens  says  of  Albuquerque  : 

"  More  stanzas  had  the  Siren  in  the  praise 

Of  the  illustrious  Albuquerque  sung  ; 

But  she  remembers  one  harsh  act,  which  weighs 

Him  down,  though  through  the  world  his  fame  bo  rung. 

A  great  commander  (whom  to  crop  bright  bays 

On  precipitious  cliff's  his  fate  hath  hung) 
Should  to  his  men  a  comrade  rather  be, 
Than  a  judge  made  up  of  sovoritie."  Fanshaw. 

Camoens,  however,  in  passing  over  in  silence  all 


INTRODUCTION.  xli 

the  cruelties  committed  by  Albuquerque  upon  his 
prisoners  at  Ormuz  and  other  places,  and  blaming 
him  for  an  act  of  necessary  discipline  exercised 
against  a  Portuguese,  shows  the  early  development 
of  that  spirit  which  in  India  and  China  seeks  to  pre- 
vent justice  being  executed  against  European  male- 
factors.^ A  French  translator  of  Camoens,  Vaquette 
d'Hermilly,  says  of  this  incident  :  "  Few  people  will 
think  with  Camoens  that  this  action  stains  the  glory 
of  Albuquerque.  It  is  for  those  who  have  com- 
manded armies  to  judge  whether  he  was  too  severe." 
The  following  is  the  narrative  of  the  Bishop  Osorio, 
which  differs  considerably  from  that  upon  which 
Camoens  founded  his  censure  : 

"  Thus  passed  the-  winter,  during  which  Albu- 
querque overcame  not  only  his  enemies,  the  rage  of 
the  sea,  and  the  rigour  of  famine,  but  often  also  the 
pride  and  perversity  of  his  own  people  ;  for  it  hap- 
pened at  this  time  that  some  Portuguese  gentlemen 
were  inflamed  by  desire  for  certain  very  beautiful 
Indian  women,  whom  Albuquerque  had  placed  under 
careful  tutelage  in  order  to  send  them  to  Portugal  to 
Queen  Mary,  to  be  baptised,  and  afterwards  given 
away  in  marriage.  Rodrigo  Diaz,  the  son  of  a  secre- 
tary, who  since  a  long  time  had  relations  with  one 
of  these  Indian  women,  was  the  person  who  so  advised 
and  stimulated  those  gentlemen,  that  they  all  used 
to  come  by  night  to  the  flag-ship  to  seek  these 
women,  without  any  respect  for  the  orders  which 
Albuquerque  had  given  with  regard  to  them.  He, 
^  See  Competition  Wallah,  Letter  IX,  pp.  319,  320. 


xlii  INTRODUCTION. 

on  hearing  of  so  great  a  disorder,  gave  orders  for 
Rodrigo  to  be  liung.  The  gentlemen,  however,  who 
were  accomplices  m  the  same  offence,  went  and  pre- 
sented themselves  before  Albuquerque,  and  begged 
him  to  spare  the  life  of  that  poor  procurer.  When 
Albuquerque  rejected  their  petition,  they  thought  to 
gain  more  by  audacious  and  insulting  words,  by 
w^hich  they  only  compelled  their  general  to  arrest 
and  detain  them  as  prisoners.  But  as  he  could  not 
w^ell  do  without  them,  being  short  of  men,  he  let 
them  go.  They  then  became  proud,  and  said  that 
this  pardon  could  by  no  means  compensate  the  injury 
which  had  been  done  to  gentlemen  of  such  import- 
ance and  family,  and  that  they  would  not  come  out 
of  prison  on  any  condition,  but  would  endiu^e  being 
taken  in  irons,  bound  hand  and  foot,  to  Portugal, 
to  declare  to  the  King  what  they  had  to  say  against 
Albuquerque.  These  fine  speeches  being  repeated  to 
Albuquerque,  he  was  satisfied  with  letting  these 
harebrained  men  have  their  fill  of  the  condition 
wliich  pleased  them  ;  and  so  he  deprived  them  of 
then'  honom's,  and  entrusted  theu*  charges  and  cap- 
taincies to  other  gentlemen."'  (Lib.  vii,  §  7.) 

1  Castanheda,  lib.  iii,  cap.  29,  gives  an  account  of  this  matter 
very  similar  to  that  of  Osorio.  He  states  that  Ruy  Diaz  was 
hung,  and  some  of  the  captains  claimed  that  he  should  be  be- 
headed, whilst  others  claimed  that  the  governor  should  not  sen- 
tence him  without  consulting  them.  The  names  of  the  captains 
who  opposed  Albuquerque,  according  to  Castanheda,  were  Ayres 
da  Silva,  Francisco  da  Sousa  Mancias  (these  two  were  the  lovers 
assisted  by  Ruy  Diaz),  Manuel  de  Lacerda,  Simao  d'Andrade, 
Fernan  Perez  d'Andrade,  and  Jorge  Fogaza.  Correa  relates  this 
incident  still  more  favourably  to  Albuquerque;  for  he  states  that 


INTRODUCTION.  xliii 

The  critics  of  Camoens  have  for  the  most  part 
bhndly  followed  Voltaire  in  praising  the  episode  of 
Ines  de  Castro^  as  the  finest  passage  in  the  Lusiad: 
so  much  so,  that  some  might  infer  that  it  was  the 
only  beauty  to  be  found  in  it.  As  it  has  been  said 
that  Voltaire  could  only  have  read  the  Lusiad  in  a 
translation,  it  may  be  allowable  to  differ  from  him, 
and  to  point  out  the  following,  as  passages  of  equal 
or  superior  merit  to  the  one  selected  by  him  for  pre- 
eminence :  The  departure  of  Gama's  fleet,  canto  iv, 
88-94  ;  the  description  of  a  waterspout,  canto  v, 
16-22  ;  the  gigantic  vision  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  canto  v,  37-GO  ;  Venus  with  the  sea-nymphs 
assists  the  Portuguese,  canto  vi,  18-23  ;  the  meeting 
with  Mon9aide,  canto  vii,  24-31  ;  the  allegory  of  the 
happy  isle  explained,  canto  ix,  89-95  ;  the  history  of 
St.  Thomas,  canto  x,  109-119. 

The  Portuguese  have  been  much  incensed  by  Vol- 
taire's criticism  of  Camoens,  and  ridicule  his  igno- 
rance in  representing  the  poet  as  bringing  the  Por- 
tuguese fleet  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ganges.  Here 
Voltaire  may  have  used  the  Ganges  as  a  figure  for 


Albuquerque  ordered  the  fault  of  Ruy  Dias  to  be  inquired  into, 
and  the  depositions  to  be  taken  by  Pero  d'Alpoim  the  auditor, 
and  Lorenzo  de  Paiva,  the  secretary :  according  to  Correa  the 
other  gallants  who  visited  the  governor's  ship  with  Ruy  Dias, 
but  who  were  not  discovered  by  the  watchmen,  were  Jorge 
Fogaza,  Simao  d'Andrade,  and  Francisco  de  Sa.  This  happened 
in  July  1510. 

^  The  story  of  Ines  de  Castro  is  almost  exactly  similar  to 
those  of  Kani  Tambuhan  in  Malay  poetry,  and  of  Dilruban,  the 
theme  of  M.  Bolentineanu,  one  of  the  modern  Wallachian  poets. 


xliv  INTRODUCTION. 

India,  as  Camoens  himself  has  done  in  describing  the 
fleet  sighting  the  coast  of  India,  when  he  says  : 

"Now  rising  Sol  with  gold  those  mountains  tips 
Which  Ganges  murmuring  washes  :  when  a  boy 
From  the  tall  Am'rall's  scuttle  shews  the  shipps 
Land,  to  the  prow  ;  with  that  (late  storm's  annoy 
And  halfe  their  voyage  over)  each  heart  skips 
Kepriev'd  from  its  vain  feares.     For  now  with  joy 
The  pilot  (whom  Melindians  to  them  put) 
Cryes  :  if  I  err  not,  Land  of  Calicut." 

Fanshaw. 

A  much  more  grievous  error  was  that  made  by 
Voltaire  in  his  first  editions,'  which  he  corrected  in 
later  ones,  of  representing  Camoens  as  having  sailed 
with  Gama,  whose  voyage  was  a  quarter  of  a  century 
before  the  poet  was  born. 

Voltaire  says  the  greatest  fault  of  the  Lusiad  is  its 
being  disjointed  (le  peu  de  liaison  qui  regne  dans 
toutes  ses  parties) ;  but  Camoens,  in  his  disposition 
of  the  poem,  has  followed  the  plan  of  the  ^neid, 
with  which  Voltaire  has  no  fault  to  find.  There  the 
plot  opens  with  the  storm  in  the  Syrtes,  and  ^neas, 
by  his  narrative  to  Dido,  explains  how  they  came 
there.  In  the  Lusiad,  we  first  meet  with  Gama  in 
the  Mozambique  Channel,  shortly  after  he  arrives  at 
Melinde,  and  relates  to  the  King  of  that  town  his 
voyage  from  Lisbon  round  the  Cape.  So  in  Paradise 
Lost  the  plot  opens  with  Satan  in  hell  and  his  de- 
signs against  Eden,  but  the  preceding  history  of  his 
expulsion  from  heaven  is  subsequently  brought  in  as 
a  narrative  to  Adam  by  the  Angel. 

The   episode  of  the    enchanted  island,   in   which 


INTRODUCTION.  xlv 

Venus  feasted  the  weary  companions  of  Gama,  has 
given  rise  to  much  criticism,  which  has  not  in  general 
been  fair  to  Camoens.  His  countrymen,  who  are  very 
easily  irritated  by  any  detraction  from  the  merits  of 
their  poet,  are  naturally  indignant  at  the  "  modest 
author  of  the  Pucelle  dOrUans  "  for  pretending  to 
be  shocked  at  the  scenes  of  the  island  of  Venus  ;  but 
a  commentary  still  more  derogatory  to  Camoens  has 
been  written  by  Senhor  Jose  Gomes  Monteiro,  Porto, 
1849,  who  very  imnecessarily  finds  fault  with  the 
observations  of  Humboldt^  in  his  Cosmos,  where  he 
adopts  the  remark  of  Sismondi,  that  Camoens  has 
not  d-escribed  tropical  vegetation.  Humboldt  applies 
the  same  remark  to  Milton^,  and  explains  that  the 
uncouth  names  of  plants  would  have  been  out  of 
place  amidst  harmonious  sounds.  Where  Milton  has 
described  a  tropical  tree,  the  banian  tree,  he  has 
made  a  mistake  with  respect  to  its  leaves.  Senhor 
Monteiro  has  attempted  to  lower  the  conception  of 
the  poet  by  reducing  the  imagery  of  the  Ilha 
Namorada  to  the  level  of  a  matter-of-fact  descrip- 
tion of  a  vulgar  debauch,  which  he,  against  all 
probabihty  and  historic  grounds,  imagines  to  have 
taken  place  at  Melinde  or  Zanguibar. 

All  this  criticism  seems  very  needless  in  the  face  of 
the  plain  statement  of  Camoens  in  the  89th,  90th, 
91st,  and  92nd  stanzas  of  the  ninth  canto,  that  the 
nymphs  and  delights  of  the  isle  of  Venus  are  nothing 
else  than  the  honours  and  fame  conferred  by  great 

1  Vol.  ii,  p.  59,  Colonel  Sabine's  Translation. 

2  P.  62,  ihirl. 


xlvi  INTRODUCTION. 

deeds  ;  and  that  the  immortals  who  peopled  Olympus 
were  all  men,  whom  antiquity  had  placed  there  as 
a  reward  for  their  virtues.  In  short,  Camoens,  in 
this,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Lusiad,  has  adhered  to 
his  classical  models,  and  followed  the  idea  of  the 
ancients,  that  the  great  and  good  were  promoted  to 
the  table  of  the  gods,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  fol- 
lowing quotations  : 

"  Hac  arte  Pollux  et  vagus  Hercules 
Enisus  arces  attigit  igneas, 
Quos  inter  Augustus  recumbens 
Purpureo  bibit  ore  nectar." 

" Ilium  ego  lucidas 

Inire  sedes,  ducere  nectaris 
Succos,  et  adscribi  quietis 
Ordinibus  patiar  Deorum." 

** tu  das  epulis  accumbere  Divum  ;  " 

and  the  same  idea  is  found  in  the  Carmen  lxiv  of 
Catullus,  on  the  nuptials  of  Peleus  and  Thetis, 

An  example  of  the  exactness  of  Camoens  is  worthy 
of  being  here  cited,  since  it  shows  how  well  ac- 
quainted he  was  with  the  peoples  he  describes,  and 
the  opinions  held  by  them  ;  and  all  his  translators 
who  have  been  less  well-informed  have  missed  the 
sense  of  the  following  passage,  though  it  offers  no 
difficulties  of  construction  : 

"  Tem  a  lei  d'hum  Propbeta,  que  gerado 
Foi  sem  fazer  na  carne  detrimento 
Da  Mai  :  tal  que  por  bafo  esta  approvado 
Do  Deus,  que  tem  do  mundo  o  regiraento." 

— Canto  vii,  stanza  69. 

Here   the   poet   represents   the   M\issulman   Mon- 


INTRODUCTION.  xlvii 

zaide  describing  to  the  Catual  the  Portuguese,  and 
their  faith,  in  the  very  words  which  would  be  used  by 
any  Arab,  If  the  translators  had  been  more  correct, 
perhaps  an  English  archbishop  would  not  have  been 
so  taken  by  surprise  in  the  summer  of  1867.  This 
passage  should  be  rendered  :  "  They  hold  the  faith  of 
a  Prophet,  who  was  engendered  without  injury  to  the 
flesh  of  his  Mother  :  so  that  he  is  accepted  as  the 
breath  {Riih)  of  the  God  who  possesses  the  ruling  of 
the  universe." 

Another  instance  of  the  exactness  of  Camoens  is 
to  be  found  in  his  description  of  Meliapor  (canto  x, 
109),  "  Being  then  at  a  great  distance  from  the 
shore  :  "  in  this  he  records  the  fact  stated  in  the 
description  of  Malabar,  of  Barbosa  and  Magellan, 
that  the  city  of  Maylepur,  at  the  time  of  St. 
Thomas,  was  twelve  leagues  distant  from  the  sea, 
which  later  ate  away  the  land  and  came  in  upon  it 
(p.  175). 

Baron  von  Humboldt,  in  a  note  to  his  Cosmos  (92, 
p.  58),  says  of  the  edition  of  Camoens  of  Jose 
Maria  de  Sousa,  Paris,  1818  :  "Would  it  not  be  a 
monument,  well  worthy  of  his  fame,  if  a  hall  were 
constructed  in  Lisbon,  after  the  noble  examples  of 
the  halls  of  Schiller  and  Gothe  in  the  grand  ducal 
palace  of  Weimar,  and  if  the  twelve  grand  composi- 
tions of  my  deceased  friend  Gerard,  which  adorn  the 
Souza  edition,  were  executed  in  large  dimensions,  in 
fresco,  on  well-lit  walls  ?     The  dream  of  the  King  D. 

Manuel the  Giant  Adamastor  hovering  over 

the    Cape    of   Good    Hope the    murder    of 


xlviii  INTRODUCTION. 

Ignes  de  Castro,  and  the  lovely  Ilha  de  Venus,  would 
all  have  the  finest  effect." 

It  is  most  devoutly  to  be  hoped  that  this  sugges- 
tion will  not  be  followed.  The  typography  of  the 
Sousa  edition  is  excellent,  but  the  plates,  with  the 
exception  of  that  representing  Adamastor,  and  per- 
haps the  dream  of  D.  Manuel,  are  execrable.  The 
Mussulman  King  of  Melinde  is  represented  as  a 
Hindoo,  and  the  Zamorim  of  Calicut  is  made  to 
look  like  a  Mussulman.  The  plate  of  the  Ilha 
Namorada  is  more  suitable  to  Voltaire's  criticism 
than  to  the  conception  of  the  poem,  which  it  lowers. 
All  that  can  be  said  in  favour  of  these  plates  is  that 
they  will  do  for  that  portion  of  the  Paris  public,  for 
whom  a  French  artist  painted  a  Spanish  alcalde  and 
municipal  coimcil,  and  put  them  all  in  the  dress  worn 
by  the  Barber  of  Seville. 

Mickle  has  said  that  Milton  must  have  heard  of 
Fanshaw's  translation  of  Camoens,  which  was  pub- 
lished fourteen  years  before  Paradise  Lost,  and  he 
says  :  "  Every  one  would  have  owned  that  the  two 
last  books  of  the  Paradise  Lost  were  evidently 
formed  upon  it."  It  is  certain  that  the  dividing 
the  vision  of  Adam  into  that  of  the  material 
earth  and  the  deeds  of  his  posterity  goes  a  long 
way  to  justify  Mickle's  supposition  ;  but  on  the 
other  hand,  there  is  no  similarity  between  the  de- 
scriptions of  the  earth  and  the  names  and  epithets 
of  countries  and  cities,  to  show  that  Milton  had 
availed  himself  of  the  geography  of  Camoens  ;  and 
Milton  mis-spells  Ercoco,  which  in  Camoens  and  in 


INTRODUCTION.  xlix 

Fanshaw's  version  is  correctly  spelt  Arquico.  Milton, 
in  making  Adam  to  ascend  the  hill  in  company  with 
the  Angel,  clearly  had  in  view  the  Gospel  narra- 
tive of  the  temptation  of  Christ ;  and  in  describing 
the  posterity  of  Adam,  he  may  have  followed  the 
same  tradition  as  that  followed  by  the  Morisco  poet, 
Mohamed  Rabadan,  who  represents  Adam  as  giving 
to  Seth  a  cloth,  upon  which  the  future  destiny  of  his 
posterity  was  depicted. 

Mickle,  in  a  note  on  Camoens's  satire  of  Don  Sebas- 
tian's excessive  love  for  the  chase,  says  :  "  Had  the 
nobihty  possessed  the  spirit  of  Camoens,  had  they, 
like  him,  endeavoured  to  check  the  Quixotry  of  a 
yoimg  generous  prince,  that  prince  might  have 
reigned  long  and  happy,  and  Portugal  might  have 
escaped  the  Spanish  yoke  which  followed  the  defeat 
of  Alcazar."  It  would  seem  more  true  to  say  that 
the  rash  exploit  of  Don  Sebastian  was  due  to 
Camoens,  and  that  the  King  was  fired  and  incited 
to  it  by  the  fitting  conclusion  of  the  Lusiad,  a  poem 
in  which  many  acts  more  adventurous  had  been 
commemorated. 

Canto  X,  155, 156. 
"An  arm  (to  serve  you)  trayn'd  in  war  have  I, 
A  soul  (to  sing  you)  to  the  Muses  bent : 
Onely  I  want  acceptance  in  your  eye, 
Who  owe  to  Yertue  fair  encouragement. 
If  Heav'n  afford  me,  this  ;  and  you,  some  high 
And  brave  exployt ;  worthy  a  monument 

Of  verse,  as  my  prophetick  thoughts  presage, 
By  what  I  see  now  in  your  tender  age. 

"  Making  Mount  Atlas  tremble  at  your  sight, 
More  than  at  that  of  dire  Medusa's  head ; 


1  INTRODUCTION. 

Or  putting  in  Ampelnsian  fields  to  fligiit 
The  Moors  in  Fez  and  black  Morocco  bred  ; 
I'l  gage  my  Muse  (then  in  esteem  and  plight) 
You  in  such  manner  throagh  the  World  shall  spred, 

That  Alexander  shall  in  you  respire, 

Without  envying  the  Meonian  Lyre,"  Fanshaw. 

I  have  given  several  passages  from  the  Lusiad 
illustrate  Correa's  account  of  Gama's  voyage,  to- 
gether with  the  best  Enghsh  translations,  taken 
from  the  versions  of  Sir  Richard  Fanshaw,  1655  ; 
WiUiam  Julius  Mickle,  177&;  Thomas  M.  Musgrave, 
1826;  Edward  QuiQiaan,  1853;  Sir  T.  Livingston 
Mitchell,  1854;  and  Captain  R.  Burton.  It  is  much 
to  be  regretted  that  Qmllinan,  the  best  of  the  trans- 
lators, died  without  completing  more  than  the  first 
five  cantos  of  the  Lusiad.  Captain  Bmton's  transla- 
tion, which  is  nearly  finished,  will  probably  be  the 
closest  to  the  original.. 

The  history  of  Vasco  da  Gama  and  his  successors 
must  always  have  a  great  interest  for  those  who 
have  succeeded  to  the  dominion  of  the  Portuguese 
over  India;.' and  the  causes  which  led  to  their  de- 
cline and  fall  ought  to  have  still  more  importance. 
That  the  domination  of  the  Portuguese  was  epheme- 
ral was  perhaps  to  be  expected,  since  it  was  foimded 
on  wrong,  as  they  themselves  seem  early  to  have 
recognised  ;  for  Camoens  says  : 

"  But  o'er  all  Ind  ambition  and  of  gain 
the  greed,  that  raise  up  openly  the  face 
against  their  God  and  Jastice,  these  shall  fain 
disgust  thy  soul,  but  do  thee  no  disgrace. 
Who  worketh  injury  reasonless  and  vain, 


INTRODUCTION.  li 

with  force  engendered  by  his  power  of  place, 
nought  conquereth,  the  sole  true  conqueror  he 
who  knows  to  render  Justice  fair  and  free." 

Canto  X,  58,  Captain  R.  Burton. 

"  Ah,  whither  wilt  thou  lead  us  now  astray, 
Bent  as  thou  art  the  fated  land  to  wrong  ? 
To  what  new  forms  of  pain  and  death  betray 
With  sounding  names  enticing  us  along  ? 
What  golden  mines,  what  gorgeous  realms  of  day, 
Are  now  the  promise  of  thy  facile  tongue  ? 
What  wondrous  victories,  what  pomps  of  glory, 
Ovations,  triumphs,  palms,  immortal  story  ? 

"  Leave  you  a  foe  increasing  at  your  gate, 
To  seek  another  over  seas  so  wide, 
For  whom  this  ancient  realm  made  desolate, 
Drain'd  of  its  strength,  in  ruin  shall' subside  ? 
Court  you  a  peril  dark,  an  unknown  fate, 
That  fame  may  flatter  and  exalt  your  pride. 
Proclaiming  you,  with  liberal  pomp  of  words, 
Of  Ethiop,  Ind,  Arabia,  Persia,  lords  ?  " 

Canto  iv,  97,  101,  Qdillinan. 

Gaspar  Correa,  also,  writing  about  the  same  time, 
says  that  the  beginnings  of  the  affairs  of  India  were 
so  golden,  that  they  did  not  seem  as  though  they 
had  beneath  the  iron  which  afteiwards  they  dis- 
closed  Evils    increased  and  good  things 

diminished,  so  that  almost  the  whole  became  a  lively 
evil,  and  the  historian  of  it  would  rather  be  called 
its  imprecator  than  the  writer  of  illustrious^  deeds. 

The  prologue  of  the  editor  of  the  printed  edition 
of  Correa  says  :  "  However,  it  is  not  to  be  doubted 
that  Gaspar  Correa,  if  freed  from  the  dense  atmo- 
sphere breathed  by  his  contemporaries,  and  moulding 
his  belief  and  ideas  upon  the  belief  and  ideas  of  the 


lii  INTRODUCTION. 

present   time,   would   have   proffered   an   anathema 
against   all    that,   which,   for   the  men  of  this  age 
better  than  the  past,  who  are  enemies  of  ferocity 
and   violence,    is    reprehensible    and   criminal.     For 
our    part,    who    write   this,    making   abstraction   of 
Homeric   battles  of   forty   against   a  thousand,  ac- 
cording to  the  expression  of  an  eminent  lyric  poet ; 
of  close   sieges    sustained  with  wonderful   patience 
and  endurance  ;  of  the  glory  which  belongs  to  the 
navigations    and   discovery  of   lands,   which   in   all 
parts  of  the  globe  still  preserve  Portuguese  names  ; 
of  the  poems   of  Camoens  and  of  Garrett,  and  the 
odes  of  Diniz,  which  this  glory  inspired,  and  which 
increase  and  immortalise  it ;   for  our  part,  we  must 
confess  it,  in  obedience  to  the  inner  warnings  of  con- 
science,— the  conquest   of  India  is  repugnant  to  us, 
and  strikes  us  Avith  horror,  on  account  of  the  in- 
justice and  barbarity  of  the  conquerors,  their  frauds, 
extortions,  and  sanguinary  hatreds.     Perfidy  presid- 
ing over  almost  all  compacts  and  negotiations ;  whole 
cities  ravaged  and  given  up  to  theilames  ;  amid  the 
glare  of  conflagrations,  and  the  horrid  hghtning  of 
artillery,   soldiers   converted  into  executioners  after 
victory,  cutting  the  throats  of  old  men,  assassinat- 
ing women,    tearing    children  in   pieces  upon  their 
mothers'  breasts  ;  conversions  to  Christianity  serving 
as  a  transparent  veil  to  covetousness  :  these  are  the 
fearful  pictures  from  which  we  would  desire  to  turn 
away  our  eyes.     No  less  repugnant  are  the  acts  of 
ingratitude  of  D.  Manuel  and  of  his  son,  wlK)m  some 
writers  have  sought  perforce  to  insert  in  the  list  of 


INTRODUCTION.  Hi 


111 


good  kings,  shutting  their  eyes  to  miiltipHed  and 
concordant  facts,  which  contradict  them.  To  repay 
with  contempt  and  hunger  the  debts  of  blood  due  to 
the  foremost  men,  after  that  they  had  risked  their 
souls  in  unjust  enterprises,  could  not  but  be  a  pleas- 
ing thought  to  corrupt  and  hypocritical  courtiers,  by 
whose  counsel  public  affairs  were  conducted,  who 
thought  everything  scanty  for  themselves,  and  who 
absorbed  all,  from  the  returns  of  the  largest  and 
most  copious  mercantile  ventures,  down  to  the  in- 
famous proceeds  of  meretricious  traffic.  But  these 
are  turpitudes  which  cannot  be  remembered  now 
without  shame  and  sorrow." 

"  Now  these  iniquities  on  the  one  hand,  and  on 
the  other,  the  almost  certain  impunity  of  crimes, 
whenever  the  criminal  shielded  himself  behind 
powerful  patrons,  or  was  able  to  assist  himself  with 
the  magic  power  of  gold,  were  the  founts  from  which 
sprung  pereiuiial  streams  of  abuses  overflowing  India, 
and  hindering  the  Portuguese  from  observing  good 
faith,  justice  or  fair  play,  not  at  this  time  with  the 
conquered,  for  these  they  no  longer  looked  upon 
as  fellow  men,  but  with  other  Portuguese.  Each 
one,  bent  on  enriching  himself  as  speedily  as  possible, 
by  whatever  means  it  might  be,  only  took  care  to 
heap  up  treasure,  and  left  for  a  later  occasion  the 
distribution  of  his  wealth,  in  order  to  free  himself 
from  his  crimes,  and  besides  this  to  avenge  himself  of 
his  opponents.  It  was,  therefore,  to  this  moral 
leprosy,  to  these  internal  cankers,  that  Gaspar  Correa 
chiefly  alluded,  and  to   which  Diogo  do  Couto  attri- 


liv  INTRODUCTION. 

buted  the  loss  of  India,  saying,  that  it  had  been  won 
with  much  truth,  fidehty,  valour,  and  perseverance, 
and  that  it  was  lost  through  the  absence  of  those 
virtues,  which  were  its  safeguard  until  the  time  of 
the  government  of  Jorge  Cabral,  (let  this  coincidence 
be  noted^)  or  even  up  to  the  time  of  D.  Constantino 
de  Bragan9a." 

Portuguese  writers  on  the  loss  of  their  Indian 
empire,  appear  to  attribute  that  loss  principally  to 
the  cruelties  and  injustice  committed  by  their  go- 
vernors ;  whilst  none  of  them  ever  seem  to  think  that 
Portugal  was  two  small  a  country  to  maintain  the 
drain  upon  its  population  caused  by  the  occupation 
of  India.  The  following  is  a  summary  of  part  of  a 
MS.  in  the  library  of  Lisbon,  named  "  History  of 
the  Elevation  and  Decadence  of  the  Portuguese 
Empire  in  Asia." 

"  D.  Geronymo  de  Azevedo,  whose  cruelties  in 
Ceylon  rendered  the  name  of  man  infamous,  succeeded 
to  Tavora  as  viceroy  in  1612.  The  history  of  Portu- 
guese Asia  terminates  with  his  government  in  mat- 
ters of  importance  ;  the  occurrences  of  his  govern- 
ment were  characteristic  of  the  decadence  of  the 
empire.  The  most  outrageous  insolence  and  perfidy 
were  then  the  traits  of  the  Portuguese  commanders. 
Pereira,  captain  of  Mombasa,  treacherously  instigated 
the  Caffres  to  kiU  the  king,  whose  head  he  sent  as  a 
trophy  to  the  viceroy  Azevedo  ;  the  insolence  of  D. 
Luis  da  Gama  brought  on  the  hostilities  of  the  Turks 

^  The  coinoidence  referred  to  is  between  Dio^o  do  Couto  and 
Correa,  who  ended  his  history  with  Jorge  Cabral's  governorship. 


I 


INTRODUCTION,  Iv 

and  Persians  against  Ormu^ ;  in  Ceylon  the  soldiers 
robbed  the  natives  at  their  pleasure,  until  the  people, 
says  Faria,  sought  refuge  with  the  beasts  of  the 
mountains ;  a  Portuguese  captain,  breaking  the  treaty 
of  peace,  took,  close  to  Surat,  a  Mekkah  ship  belong- 
ing to  the  Mogul,  and  brought  it  in  triumph  to  Goa. 
To  procure  its  restitution,  the  Mogul  detained  all 
the  Portuguese  ships  that  were  in  his  ports,  and 
together  with  his  tributary,  the  king  of  Decan,  laid 
siege  to  Damao,  Chaul,  and  Ba9aim,  and  laid  waste 
the  surrounding  country.  Even  the  Chinese,  who  are 
unfitted  for  war,  were  exasperated.  In  1606,  a  Dutch 
fleet  blockaded  the  mouth  of  the  Tagus,  and  pre- 
vented the  annual  succour  leaving  for  India  ;  the 
Dutch  increased  their  forces  in  Asia,  and  the  natives, 
from  hatred  of  the  Portuguese,  favoured  them.  The 
Portuguese  in  Ceylon  and  other  places  fought  with 
one  another.  Thiago  Simoes  for  services  rendered  to 
the  king  of  Monomotapa,  had  received  a  concession 
of  the  mines  of  that  country  on  behalf  of  the  king 
of  Portugal,  and  had  built  some  forts  on  the  river 
Zambeze  ;  he  asked  the  viceroy  for  reinforcements, 
which  were  sent  with  the  letrado  Fonseca  Pinto  ; 
this  succour  revolted  against  Simoes,  and  ruined  his 
estabHshment ;  Fonseca,  who  had  been  sent  as  judge 
to  Mozambique,  enriched  himself  by  infamous  acts  of 
tyranny  and  injustice,  an  example  which  was  followed 
by  his  successors.  The  viceroy  bought  a  peace  of  the 
Mogul,  who,  through  the  influence  of  the  Jesuit 
Pereyro,  prohibited  the  commerce  of  the  EngHsh  and 
Dutch,  and  the  Portuguese  ships  detained  in  his 


Ivi  INTRODUCTIOX. 

ports  were  restored.  During  the  last  thirty  years, 
the  power  and  trade  of  the  Turks  increased  greatly 
on  the  coasts  of  Arabia,  and  a  large  portion  of  the 
produce  of  India  was  again  sent  to  Eiu-ope  by  way  of 
Egypt  and  Constantinople.  The  vassals  of  the  Mogul 
refused  to  trade  with  the  Enghsh  and  Turks,  and 
shewed  hostility  to  Sir  Henry  Middleton  in  the  Red 
Sea.  He,  on  that  account,  pillaged  by  force  of  arms, 
but  did  not  act  as  a  pirate  ;  he  took  some  ships  of 
the  Mogul  near  Aden,  but  gave  them  equal  value  in 
English  goods  for  the  merchandise  which  he  took 
from  them,  according  to  the  valuation  of  the  mer- 
chandize in  Asia,  openly  declaring  that  he  only 
wished  for  a  just  commerce.  Azevedo,  the  viceroy, 
prepared  a  fleet  of  eight  ships  and  sixty  frigates,  but 
after  a  feeble  attack,  he  withdrew  ;  and  though  fre- 
quently challenged  by  the  Enghsh,  who  were  only 
reinforced  by  four  ships,  he  shunned  the  combat,  and 
allowed  the  enemy  to  retire  with  his  ships  laden. 
Miranda,  the  admiral  of  the  Malacca  seas,  was  no 
happier  ;  he  was  totally  routed  by  a  Dutch  squadron 
of  eight  sail,  and  the  trade  with  China  was  inter- 
rupted. The  spirited  conduct  of  Middleton  won 
over  the  Mogul,  who  cared  little  for  the  resentment 
of  Azevedo,  and  he  admitted  the  English  to  trade, 
and  welcomed  Middleton  hospitably.  Shortly  after 
Abbas  Shah  took  Ormuz  from  the  Portuguese.  The 
Kings  of  Siam  and  Ava  then  shewed  their  neglect  of 
the  Portuguese.  During  some  of  the  last  fifteen 
years,  not  one  ship  went  from  India  to  Portugal,  and 
the  expenses  of  the  succours  sent  against  the  Dutch 


INTRODUCTION.  Ivii 

a.nd  English  exceeded  the  duties  of  the  Company, 
which  were  enjoyed  by  Spain.  Azevedo  received  an 
order  from  Madrid  to  dispose  of  all  offices  within  his 
jurisdiction  by  pubhc  sale,  and  to  apply  the  money 
to  the  maintenance  of  his  government.  Azevedo,  on 
going  from  Goa  to  Diu,  met  four  English  ships,  and 
shunned  the  encounter,  from  fear  of  the  blow  to  the 
state  of  Portuguese  India  if  he  should  lose  the  great 
galloon  :  such  was  the  poverty  of  the  Portuguese  ex- 
chequer in  Asia ;  but  even  supposing  that  it  could  not 
bear  the  loss  of  a  single  galloon,  yet  Azevedo  was  very 
rich.  One  day  he  complained  of  the  great  losses  he  had 
suffered  in  his  merchant  ships,  about  the  latter 
period  of  his  government ;  and  one  of  his  officers 
observed  that  he  must  still  have  got  400,000  or 
500,000  ducats  :  to  this  he  replied — "  I  have  still 
got  more  than  that  value  in  flocks  only."  Though 
the  Spanish  ministry  seemed  to  have  abandoned 
India,  they  looked  at  the  success  of  the  English  and 
Dutch  with  great  resentment ;  as  Azevedo  had  not 
routed  them,  he  was  summoned  home,  where  he  was 
despoiled  of  all  his  riches,  and  condemned  to  prison, 
in  which  he  died :  whilst  in  prison  he  was  supported 
by  the  Jesuits,  who  afterwards  buried  him  honour- 
ably, on  account  of  their  gratitude  for  the  support 
he  had  given  them.  Azevedo  used  to  throw  his 
prisoners  off  the  point  of  Malvana  to  the  crocodiles, 
for  his  and  his  soldiers'  amusement.  Still  greater  de- 
cadence followed  the  governorship  of  Azevedo  :  the 
fortresses  were  stripped  of  their  territory,  ship- 
wrecks increased  the  losses  of  the  Portuguese.     The 


Iviii  INTRODUCTION. 

most    notable    events   of  the   government   of  Joan 
Conde  de  Eedondo,  who  succeeded  Azevedo  in  1617, 
were  the  solemn  fasts  held  in  Goa  :  during  some  of 
these   the    citizens    spent   days  and  nights   on  the 
floors  of  the  churches,  imploring  the  Divine  assist- 
ance, in  the  most  profound  and  reverential  silence,  at 
the  same  time  that  no  sound  was  heard  in  the  lugu- 
brious streets.     Though  Azevedo  was  punished  for 
not  routing  the  EngHsh,  the  Spanish  government 
made  so  httle  accoimt  of  India  that  Fernan  de  Albu- 
querque, who  governed  it  during  three  years  after 
Redondo,  never  received  a  letter  from  the  court  of 
his  sovereign.     In  1622,  D.  Francisco  da  Gama  sailed 
from  Lisbon  with  four  ships  and  the  commission  of 
Viceroy  :  on  the  way  three   ships   abandoned  him, 
and  he  had  to  burn  his  own  ship  on  the  coast  of 
Mozambique  to  save  it  from  a  Dutch  squadron ;  he 
continued  his   voyage  to  India  in  a  gaUiot.     After 
five  years  of  government,  during  which  he  did  not  do 
any  act   of  the   least  importance,   he  resigned  the 
government  to  Luis  de  Brito,  bishop  of  Cochym,  who 
died  two  years  later.     On  his  decease,  papers  were 
found  appointing  two  governors,  one  for  the  civil, 
the  other  for  the  military  department.     In  1632,  the 
Count   de   Linhares   being   Viceroy,   the   European 
enemies  plundered  the  Portuguese  at  sea  without 
opposition,  and  ruined  their  commerce ;  nevertheless, 
Linhares,  on  his  return  to  Eiu-ope,  presented  to  the 
King  a  transelim  or  cord  for  his  hat,  and  a  pair  of 
drops  to  the  Queen,  a  gift  worth  100,000  crowns. 
In  1639,  when  another  Archbishop  of  Goa  governed. 


'INTRODUCTION.  lix 

a  squadron  of  nine  Dutch  vessels  entered  the  river  of 
Goa  and  burned  three  galleons  without  opposition, 
for  the  fort  was  without  ammunition  or  men.  In 
1640  Portugal  shook  off  the  Spanish  yoke,  and  in 
1642  a  viceroy  was  sent  to  India  by  D.  Joan  IV. 
At  the  end  of  the  seventpenth  century,  the  Court  of 
Lisbon  directed  its  attention  to  Brazil  and  neglected 
India :  the  succession  of  viceroys  was  kept  up,  but  of 
all  the  establishments  on  the  coast  of  Asia,  Portugal 
only  retained  Goa,  Diu,  and  the  isle  of  Macao ;  and, 
according  t(j  information  acquired  by  Abbe  Raynal 
(who  published  his  Histoii^e  Philosophique,  etc.,  about 
ten  years  ago),^  at  most  two  small  ships  every  year 
brought  some  porcelain  for  Goa  and  Diu,  but  these 
had  to  touch  at  Surat  and  other  ports  to  complete 
their  return  cargo  of  silks  and  spices.  In  1773  the 
title  of  viceroy  was  changed  for  that  of  captain- 
major,  and  the  Inquisition  of  Goa  was  aboHshed." 

This  manuscript  contains  also  the  following  para- 
graph : — 

"  The  Abbe  Raynal,  in  his  reflections  on  the  fate 
of  the  Portuguese,  says  that  when  the  Court  of 
Lisbon  projected  the  discovery  of  India  and  hoped 
for  inexhaustible  treasures,  the  most  moderate  and 
weak  mind  foresaw  and  prophesied  the  evils  which 
would  foUow  the  event :  and  time,  he  says,  the 
supreme  arbiter  of  pohticians,  would  hasten  to  fulfil 
those  predictions.  The  objections  to  the  voyage  of 
Gama  are  clear  and  evident.    They  are  these :  nothing 

'  This  fixes  the   date  of  this  manuscript,  which  is  withoat 
author's  name  or  date;  its  number  in  the  catalogue  is  338  Mello. 


Ix  INTRODUCTION. 

else  but  sterile  deserts  like  those  of  Lybia  were  to 
be  found,  or  if  in  tbose  countries  riches  were  found, 
the  extent  of  the  voyage  would  render  them  useless, 
or,  if  they  were  available,  the  introduction  of  these 
riches  would  cause  a  degeneration  of  customs  fatal  to 
the  kingdom.  The  colonial  establishments  would 
produce  depopulation  and  contempt  of  agriculture, 
and  if  any  colonies  were  necessary,  Ethiopia  offered 
nearer  and  better  settlements.  The  anger  of  the 
Sultan  of  Egypt  and  the  combination  of  all  Europe 
against  Portugal  completed  the  prophecy  of  the  evils 
which  threatened  it.  But  it  was  neither  foreseen  nor 
prophesied  that  the  unheard  of  and  bad  comportment 
of  the  Portuguese  might  render  the  most  important 
and  lucrative  commerce  in  the  world  a  heavy,  and  at 
last,  an  insupportable  burden  upon  the  treasury  of 
Lisbon  or  Madrid.  It  was  not  prophesied  that  the 
shameless  villany,  the  pillage  and  robbery  of  their 
countrymen  would  be  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of 
their  rule.  Of  the  objections  here  enumerated,  our 
author  (Raynal)  makes  httle  mention.  The  increase 
of  riches  is  not  what  does  the  harm,  nor  what  causes 
the  depopulation  and  neglect  of  agriculture,  which 
he  mentions  as  the  consequences  of  the  navigation  to 
India.  .  .  .The  large  population  of  Holland  sprung  up 
from  its  maritime  commerce;  and  if  the  science  of 
commerce  had  been  as  well  known  in  Lisbon  as  in 
Amsterdam,  Portugal  would  have  been  more  popu- 
lous and  flourishing  than  Holland." 

The  author  of  this  manuscript  History  of  the  De- 
cadence of  the  Portuguese  Indian  Empire,  and  other 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixi 

Portuguese  writers  in  a  greater  degree,  complain  of 
the  Spanish  yoke  as  having  contributed  to  the  down- 
fall of  the  Portuguese  in  Asia.  This,  however,  must 
have  had  a  small  share  compared  with  the  internal 
disorganisation  of  the  Portuguese  in  Asia.  For  in 
general  the  treasuries  and  accounts  of  the  crowns  of 
Spain  and  Portugal  were  kept  distinct;  the  Spanish 
colony  of  the  Philippines  relieved  the  treasury  of 
Goa  of  the  chief  part  of  the  expenditure  for  the  Por- 
tuguese settlements  in  the  Moluccas;  and  if  the 
Court  of  Madrid  left  a  Viceroy  of  Goa  for  three  years 
without  a  despatch,  at  least  they  did  not  hamper 
him  with  regulations.  With  respect  to  this  part  of 
the  subject,  some  interest  attaches  to  two  CastiHan 
opinions  which  are  amongst  the  manuscripts  in  the 
library  of  Evora,  ^-,  £  70  and  72.  One  of  these, 
dated  Madrid,  July  17,  1627,  states  that  there  is  no 
discipline  amongst  the  Portuguese,  that  each  captain 
in  action  does  what  he  pleases  in  leading  his  men, 
and  that  this  is  sometimes  very  successful  in  sudden 
attacks  :  it  says  that  Goa  is  quite  neglected  and  un- 
defended, and  the  other  forts  are  in  the  same  state  : 
it  recommends  the  King  to  put  in  force  the  regula- 
tions of  1608  and  1609,  and  says  that  of  all  the 
fleet  of  the  Coimt  of  Vidigueira  in  1622,  six  hundred 
soldiers  did  not  remain  in  the  service,  the  rest  having 
dispersed  over  the  country. 

The  second  opinion,  dated  Madrid,  September  21, 
1627,  states  that  the  pay  of  the  soldiers  in  Portu- 
guese India  was  10  xerafins  a  quarter,  or  40  a  year, 
with  a  monthly  allowance  for  provisions  of  4  xerafins, 


Ixii  INTRODUCTION. 

which  make  48  a  year,  in  all  88  :  this  amounts  to 
7920  xerafins  for  a  company  of  90  men,  the  captain 
receiving  300,  and  the  ensign  and  serjeant  150  each, 
in  all  8520  xerafins  ;  each  xerafin  worth  seven  and  a 
half  reals  (or  nearly  a  dollar  each).  It  advises  that 
the  soldiers  who  embark  at  Lisbon  should  be  bound 
to  serve  the  number  of  years  which  His  Majesty  may 
ordain,  and  that  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  leave 
their  captains  without  a  passport,  or  otherwise  they 
would  disband  as  they  do  at  present. 

Another  cause  of  the  loss  of  India  by  the  Portu- 
guese was  that  they  extended  themselves  too  much, 
and  occupied  too  many  points  of  the  territory  washed 
by  the  Indian  Ocean,  instead  of  contenting  them- 
selves with  a  few  points  giving  them  command  of 
the  trade  of  those  regions,  and  to  occupy  which 
would  not  have  exceeded  the  means  and  resources 
which  a  small  nation  like  Portugal  was  able  to  dis- 
pose of  This  danger  was  foreseen  from  the  first  by 
Francisco  d' Almeida  ;  Albuquerque,  however,  took 
the  opposite  view,  and  succeeded  in  giving  fuU  play 
to  Portuguese  ambition  and  greed,  of  territory,  and 
in  extending  their  dominion. 

The  differences  of  opinion  and  policy  which  existed 
between  Albuquerque  and  Almeida  are  thus  stated 
by  Osorio,  lib.  vii,  §  14. 

"Almeida  judged  that  there  would  be  little  security 
if  the  Portuguese  assailed  the  cities  of  India,  from  the 
danger  of  dividing  their  forces  and  so  weakening  them. 
Therefore  his  counsel  was  to  hold  the  sea,  for  he 
considered  that  the  master  of  the  sea  was  master  of 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixiii 

the  vvliole  of  India,  For  that  reason  he  would 
not  quit  his  ships,  and,  provided  that  he  had  one 
harbour  secured  under  his  command,  he  took  no 
care  about  the  rest ;  saying  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  send  each  year  from  the  kingdom  of  Por- 
tugal so  many  soldiers  as  would  be  wanted  for 
garrisons  of  forts  and  citadels  :  that  whoever  at- 
tempted to  undertake  that  would  be  scattering  the 
Portuguese  here  and  there  at  the  mercy  of  their 
enemies,  whereas,  while  they  were  together  and 
united,  they  were  dreaded  by  all  the  Indians.  Albu- 
querque, on  the  contrary,  animated  by  the  higher 
hopes,  which  great  minds  are  usually  accustomed  to 
conceive,  often  revolved  in  his  thoughts  the  means, 
not  only  of  assuring  the  affairs  of  the  Portuguese  for 
a  few  years,  but  also  of  gaining  a  firm  footing  for 
their  domination,  which  he  assured  himself  would  be 
very  widely  extended  in  the  future  ;  h$  judged  that 
they  ought  not  simply  to  consider  how  the  ships 
might  return  each  year  laden  with  pepper  to  Portu- 
gal, but  rather  in  what  fashion  they  might  lay  the 
foimdation  of  the  empire  of  Manuel  and  his  successors 
in  India;  and  the  more  distant  that  were  their 
succours,  the  more,  he  held,  ought  they  to  be  care- 
ful to  occupy  and  people  various  ports  in  India,  so 
as  to  plant  the  Portuguese  nation  in  so  many  places, 
that  they  might  at  need  raise  an  army  in  India  it- 
self. Besides,  he  said,  the  sea  was  an  insecure  place 
of  retreat  for  those  who  did  not  possess  here  and 
there  some  resource  on  land :  a  single  tempest  might 
swallow  up  the  largest  fleet  which  could  be  hoped 


Ixiv  INTRODUCTION, 

for;  and  the  commodities  of  the  land  repaired  the 
losses  of  the  ships,  and  were  not  useless  for  reconquer- 
ing the  domination  of  the  sea.  Moreover,  he  held  it 
to  be  a  very  dangerous  thing  to  shut  up  the  fleet  of 
Portugal  in  a  strait,  especially  where  the  country 
was  poor,  sterile,  and  unfitted  to  maintain  an  army 
during  winter.  He  therefore  considered  that  they 
provided  very  ill  for  the  future  time  who  affirmed 
that  the  aifairs  of  the  Portuguese  could  be  sufficiently 
established  in  the  kingdom  of  Cochim  or  Cananor, 
amidst  so  great  a  number  of  the  sworn  enemies  of 
the  Christian  name,  who  were  so  bent  on  seeking 
out  opportunities  to  ruin  the  Portuguese  :  that  the 
town  which  rehed  only  upon  itself  for  its  defence 
was  not  sufficiently  secure,  like  one  which  could  be 
succoured  in  time  of  need  from  several  other  places  : 
that  the  dominion  of  the  sea  was  not  weakened  by 
this  occupation  of  strong  places,  but  rather  favoured 
and  assisted  by  it,  for  the  more  harbours  and  refuges 
the  fleet  had  access  to,  the  more  easy  would  be  its 
navigation,  and  many  places  would  supply  more 
easily  than  one  only  the  materials  requisite  for  build- 
ing or  refitting  ships.  Finally,  he  was  entirely  of 
opinion  that  he  who  desired  to  remain  master  of  the 
Indies,  not  for  the  life  of  a  man  only,  but  for  ever, 
ought  to  build  a  fortress  which  should  be  peopled  by 
all  sorts  of  men  ;  so  that  in  times  of  necessity  they 
should  not  always  have  to  wait  for  succours  from 
Portugal,  which,  during  so  long  and  perilous  a  navi- 
gation, for  the  most  part  perish  from  various  maladies, 
or  are  lost  in  the  waves  of  the  sea,  or  detained  by 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixv 

the  rigour  of  winter,  or  constrained  to  repose  and  de- 
sist from  arms,  so  much  are  they  weakened  and  ren- 
dered useless  by  the  hardships  of  the  sea.  The  issue 
of  affairs  has  verified,  long  after  the  death  of  Albu- 
querque, howfittingandnecessary his  counsel  was.  For 
when  Suleyman,  the  Emperor  of  the  Turks,  sent  the 
governor  of  Egypt  with  a  powerftd  fleet  to  India  to 
dispossess  the  Portuguese,  and  he  came  and  encamped 
before  the  citadel  of  Diu,  and  battered  it  furiously 
during  many  days,  and  made  all  his  efforts  to  take 
it ;  although  the  besieged  did  him  great  damage,  he 
would  not  have  raised  the  siege  so  soon,  had  he  not 
received  news  of  the  great  fleet  which'  was  arriving 
at  Goa  to  come  and  give  battle  to  him  at  the  port  of 
Diu.  And  again,  when  the  King  of  Cambay  with  a 
powerful  succour  of  Turks  was  encamped  for  six 
months  before  that  citadel,  he  would  not  have  been 
so  easily  driven  away  and  defeated  by  Joam  de 
Castro,  viceroy  of  Portugal  in  India,  if  Goa  had  not 
furnished  arms,  men,  and  supphes,  which  by  that 
hastened  the  victory.  For  that  city  has  become  so 
greats,  that  whole  armies  can  be  raised  in  it,  and 
powerful  fleets  be  fitted  out  there.  Albuquerque, 
weighing  with  judgment  that  which  has  happened, 
placed  so  well  the  foundations  of  the  state  of  Goa, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  ruin  that  which  he  estabhshed. 
Since  there  were  no  Portuguese  women  to  be  the 
means  of  peopling  the  place,  he  used  to  have  the 
Indian  women  taken  in  war  baptised,  and  married 
them  to  his  soldiers,  to  whom  he  assigned  some  pos- 
sessions in  the  island  which  had  been  confiscated 


Ixvi  INTRODUCTION. 

from  the  Saracens,  and  he  granted  them  other  favours 
and  presents  to  draw  them  into  such  marriages. 
Thus,  as  Romulus  built  Rome,  and  Theseus  made 
the  peasants  of  Attica  come  to  Athens,  or  as  some 
others  have  founded  towns,  it  may  also  be  said  that 
Albuquerque  was  the  founder  of  Goa,  which  he  had 
conquered  by  his  valour,  and  at  the  point  of  his  sword." 

A  letter  of  Francisco  dAlmeida  to  the  King, 
written  after  the  death  of  his  son  D.  Lorenzo,  and 
pubhshed  in  the  Lisbon  Annals  of  Science  and  Litera- 
ture, in  1858,  confirms  Osorio's  statement  of  his 
views,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  extracts. 

"With  respect  to  that  fortress  in  Coulam,  the 
greater  the  number  of  fortresses  you  hold,  the  weaker 
will  be  yoiu*  power  :  let  all  our  forces  be  on  the  sea ; 
because  if  we  should  not  be  powerful  at  sea  (which 
may  the  Lord  forbid)  everything  will  at  once  be 
against  us ;  and  if  the  King  of  Cochim  should  de- 
sire to  be  disloyal,  he  would  be  at  once  destroyed, 
because  our  past  wars  were  waged  with  animals ; 
now  we  have  wars  with  the  Venetians  and  the  Turks 
of  the  Sultan. 

"And  as  regards  the  King  of  Cochym,  I  have 
already  written  to  your  Highness  that  it  would  be 
well  to  have  a  strong  castle  in  Cranganor  on  a  pas- 
sage of  the  river  which  goes  to  Calecut,  because  it 
would  hinder  the  transport  by  that  way  of  a  single 
peck  of  pepper.  With  the  force  we  have  at  sea  we 
will  discover  what  these  new  enemies  may  be,  for  I 
trust  in  the  mercy  of  God  that  He  will  remember  us, 
since  all  the  rest  is  of  little  importance.     Let  it  be 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixvii 

known  for  certain  that  as  long  as  you  may  be  power- 
ful at  sea,  you  will  hold  India  as  yours ;  and  if  you  do 
not  possess  this  power,  little  will  avail  you  a  fortress  on 
shore ;  and  as  to  expelling  the  Moors  from  the  country, 
I  have  found  the  right  way  to  do  it,  but  it  is  a  long 
story,  and  it  will  be  done  when  the  Lord  pleases  and 
will  thus  be  served." 

Diogo  do  Couto  wrote  a  book  called  the  Soldado 
Pratico,  in  which  he  shews  the  causes  of  the  deca- 
dence of  the  Portuguese  in  India.  This  book  was 
printed  in  1790  by  the  Lisbon  Academy.  As  the 
introduction  by  the  Academy  states,  Diogo  do  Couto 
is  not  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  philosopher  free  from  all 
passion  and  prejudice,  nor  as  a  censor  of  the  justice 
of  the  conquest  of  India,  nor  as  one  who  examines 
the  good  and  evil  which  the  Indian  colonies  might 
cause  to  Portugal :  the  time  in  which  he  lived,  ^  says 
the  editor,  did  not  admit  of  such  ideas  :  he  only 
looked  upon  India  as  a  means  of  enriching  Portugal, 
and  that  principally  by  arms,  and  he  directs  his 
attention  to  whatever  weakened  the  warlike  re- 
sources of  tlie  Portuguese,  or  to  the  tendency  of  in- 
dividuals to  prefer  private  interest  to  that  of  the  state. 

This  book  is  written  in  two  parts,  and  consists  of 
dialogues  between  a  soldier  and  a  viceroy  :  the  first 
part  is  printed  last,  as  it  was  found  in  Diogo  do 
Couto's  last  manuscript,  in  which  the  part  which 
was  last  written  was  put  first :  in  this  later  part 
Diogo  do  Couto  added  a  third  speaker,  a  despachador, 
or  official  in  Portugal  who  attended  to  the  business 
^  Rather,  the  profession  which  he  followed. 


Ixviii  INTRODUCTION. 

of  Portuguese  officers  and  soldiers.  This  part,  ob- 
serves the  editor,  is  written  with  less  simplicity  than 
the  earher  part,  and  is  overloaded  with  historical 
parallels  and  a  show  of  erudition  which  had  become 
the  taste  of  the  time. 

In  the  first  chapter,  the  soldier  complains  of  the 
way  in  which  old  soldiers,  on  their  return  from 
India,  are  kept  out  of  their  rights  by  the  delays  of 
the  officials  who  ought  to  settle  their  accounts.^ 
Next,  complaint  is  made  of  the  little  secrecy  ob- 
served in  the  councils  in  India,  and  of  the  enemy 
obtaining  all  the  information  he  required  :  and  that 
when  the  official  inquiries  were  held  over  the  officials 
of  justice,  of  revenue,  and  the  captains  of  forts,  the 
reports  of  witnesses,  which  ought  to  be  kept  secret, 
were  not  so,  and  the  inquiry  became  null,  the  guilty 
escaped  all  consequences,  and  the  witnesses  were  ex- 
posed to  enmity  and  revenge  ;  so  that  it  would  be 
better  to  give  up  holding  these  inquiries  from  which 
there  was  no  result.  The  speakers  then  agree  that 
no  one  that  returned  from  India  with  wealth  ever 
kept  it,  that  the  money  appeared  to  be  excom- 
municated, and  disappeared  as  if  it  were  enchanted, 
and  that  it  came  by  infernal  methods  and  went 
away  by  the  same,  seeing  that  most  of  it  was  coined 
from  the  blood  of  innocent  people.  With  respect  to 
this  the  soldier  tells  an  anecdote  of  a  gentleman  who 
was  appointed  to  one  of  the  best  fortresses  of  India, 
and  a  monk  said  to  him  :  "  Sir,  remember  that  you 
are  going  to  enter  upon  the  favour  which  the  King 
^  Kii'wee  Prize-money,  Times,  August  29,  1868. 


I 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixix 

has  granted  you  for  your  services,  and  that  in  that 
office  you  can  win  heaven  as  well  as  I  in  this  habit, 
by  this  means,  that  you  content  yourself  with  what 
is  yours,  and  allow  the  poor  to  live,  and  do  justice." 
To  this  the  captain  replied:  "Father,  I  must  do  what 
the  other  captains  have  done ;  if  they  went  to  hell,  I 
must  go  there  and  keep  them  company,  because  I  am 
not  going  to  my  fortress  except  to  come  back  rich." 
The  monk  thought  it  was  useless  to  say  more  to  him; 
and  though  he  said  this  by  way  of  courtier-like 
speech,  he  did  what  he  said  :  also  the  devil  took  it 
all  away  from  him  in  a  few  days. 

The  second  chapter  discusses  the  delays  to  which 
the  soldiers  and  small  people  were  exposed  in  the 
despatch  of  their  business,  which  the  official  attempts 
to  excuse  by  saying  that  the  delays  are  caused  by 
persons  higher  in  office,  and  that  if  the  petitions 
were  presented  at  unseasonable  times,  their  objects 
would  be  retarded  instead  of  being  advanced. 

The  third  chapter  treats  of  the  inroads  made  upon 
the  Treasury  by  the  King's  officers ;  for  instance, 
when  an  embassy  is  sent  with  a  present  of  horses, 
the  Viceroy  sells  them  for  the  King's  service  out  of 
his  own  stables  at  exorbitant  prices,  and  a  horse 
worth  two  hundred  is  set  down  at  six  hundred  and 
more.  When  the  horses  arrive  from  Ormuz,  the 
best  are  selected  for  the  governor  and  his  friends, 
and  the  prices  fixed  by  him.  The  governors  when 
appointed  have  to  swear  a  great  many  things  to  the 
King,  most  of  which  they  do  not  observe.  One  of 
the  things  they  swear  to  observe  is  the  privilege  of 


Ixx  INTRODUCTION. 

the  city,  and  the  first  thing  they  do  is  to  trample 
upon  it,  and  they  always  find  lawyers  to  tell  them 
that  such  a  privilege  is  to  be  understood  in  such  a 
sense.  And  the  governors  misconstrue  the  phrase  in 
their  instructions  :  "  Above  all,  do  what  seems  best 
to  you  for  my  service ;"  since  this  rather  should  tie 
their  hands,  for  what  is  the  King's  service  unless  to 
do  justice,  to  give  to  each  man  his  rights,  and  to  fit 
out  fleets  when  occasion  serves,  and  provide  for  war- 
like aftairs  as  may  be  most  necessary,  and  take  care 
of  the  repute  of  the  state,  and  defence  of  vassals, 
because  the  King  cannot  guess  beforehand  futiu-e 
contingencies.  The  conduct  of  the  governors  is  com- 
plained of,  who  appoint  their  own  servants  to  various 
ofiices,  instead  of  appointing  deserving  men  of  long 
service  :  also  the  governors  do  not  pay  the  soldiers 
regularly,  and  pretend  that  there  is  no  money  in  the 
Treasury,  When  the  Viceroy  or  governor  has  finished 
his  time,  it  is  only  proclaimed  foiu"  or  six  days 
before  his  departure  that  he  will  pay  any  person 
who  has  claims  upon  him ;  and  as  he  has  then  one 
foot  in  the  stirrup,  no  one  comes  forward  with  a 
claim,  and  the  clerks  give  him  certificates  which 
serve  to  close  blind  men's  eyes. 

The  fourth  chapter  treats  of  the  way  in  which 
property  confiscated  to  the  King's  treasury,  or  se- 
questrated when  revenue  oflicials'  accounts  are  wi^ong, 
all  vanishes  amongst  different  friends  of  the  governor, 
without  reaching  the  treasury. 

The  fifth  chapter  is  about  similar  abuses. 

The  sixth  chapter  is  on  the  injustice  administered 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxi 

by  the  law ;  on  its  severity  with  the  Indians  and  its 
laxity  with  the  Portuguese  ;  on  the  expensiveness  of 
procedure  which,  when  a  man  gains  his  cause  in  a 
claim  of  two  thousand  cruzados,  the  law  at  the  end 
leaves  him  only  five  hundred  clear.  And  an  auditor 
will  write  down  /  heard  where  a  witness  says  /  saw, 
and  where  he  should  say  yes  he  says  no :  and  the 
person  that  died,  died,  and  the  murderer  walks 
about.  What  is  worse  is,  that  if  you  say  to  one  of 
these,  look  at  what  you  are  doing,  and  ask  him  how 
he  gave  so  unjust  a  sentence,  he  answers  you  very 
quietly  :  There  are  the  judges  who  did  it,  for  I  did 
not  hear  any  more  of  it.  And  this  infernal  fellow  is 
not  mindfiLl  that  all  the  losses  which  he  inflicted  on 
the  parties,  and  all  the  expense  which  he  has  put 
them  to  in  appeals,  he  owes  it  them  luider  pain  of 
going  to  hell.  It  is  enough  that  this  is  the  worst 
sign  I  know  of  India  not  being  in  a  good  state, 
that  the  governors  sell  the  offices  of  justice  to  those 
who  seU  justice  so  openly.  The  ex-governor  repUes 
that  this  cannot  be  otherwise,  because  there  are  not 
in  India  so  many  judges  or  learned  jurists  as  can 
serve  so  many  fortresses ;  and  if  such  an  office  is  to 
be  given  to  Peter,  who  is  not  a  learned  man,  why 
should  it  not  be  given  to  John  :  for  these  injustices 
which  have  been  mentioned,  the  governor  does  not 
order  them  to  be  committed,  and  as  for  what  is  given 
to  my  servant,  which  may  be  two  quilts,  or  as  many 
carpets,  or  other  trifles  of  gold  or  silver,  this  is 
nothing — he  may  take  them  ;  for  I  have  theologians 
who  advise  me  that  this  is  to  sell  favour  and  not 


Ixxii  INTRODUCTION. 

offices :  but  the  fault  is  in  there  not  being  men 
enough  to  fill  these  offices.  The  soldier  answers  : 
Of  such  favourites  and  of  such  theologians  (if  it  is 
so,  which  I  do  not  believe)  hell  is  full!  What  is  the 
meaning  of  selling  favour  ?  In  what  law,  divine  or 
human,  is  it  to  be  found  that  if  they  pay  for  my 
ship,  which  they  buy  for  the  King,  five  thousand 
pardaos,  that  I  am  to  give  the  favourite  three  thou- 
sand ?  This  is  to  calumniate  the  theologians,  and 
make  them  the  authors  of  these  robberies.  Let  the 
governors  do  what  injustice  they  please,  and  not  put 
forward  the  monks  as  the  authors  of  them,  which  is 
another  sin  over  and  above.  With  regard  to  what 
you  say  of  these  offices  being  so  distributed,  because 
there  are  not  sufficient  fit  men,  I  reply  that  for 
many  years  it  has  not  been  customary  to  seek  for 
men  for  the  offices,  but  for  offices  for  the  men ;  and 
if  any  one  tried  to  seek  them  he  would  find  them ; 
but  they  are  not  found,  because  the  Viceroy's  favoiu*- 
ites  would  be  lost  if  they  were  found  :  for  these 
have  not  to  give  bribes,  but  to  beg,  and  do  many 
favours,  so  that  necessity  may  not  be  the  cause  of 
theii"  committing  abuses  in  their  office.  For  this 
reason,  the  Carthaginians  ordained  that  their  magis- 
trates should  be  rich  men  ;  for  if  they  were  poor, 
they  could  not  do  true  justice,  as  they  might  be 
forced  by  want  to  commit  some  abuse.  Let  the 
governor  seek  for  rich  men,  who  are  disinterested, 
and  do  them  honour,  and  he  will  find  men  who  will 
administer  justice  to  the  poor,  for  they  are  the  people 
who  requu-e  it,  and  whom  the  King  ought  most  to 


I 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxiil 

defend,  because  the  poor  and  small  are  falcons  and 
hawks  with  which  kings  hunt  and  catch  heaven. 
This  was  a  saying  of  Amadeus  Duke  of  Savoy  re- 
lated by  Raphael  Volaterrano.  Diogo  do  Couto  then 
mentions  many  kings  who  took  particular  care  of  the 
poor,  and  goes  on  to  complain  of  the  governors  giving 
away  in  marriage  the  orphan  daughters  of  gentle- 
men, if  they  have  any  money,  to  their  servants.  He 
observes  that  those  who  crossed  the  river  Lethe 
lost  their  memory,  and  that  the  governors  who 
double  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  after  that  lose 
theirs  with  respect  to  the  fear  of  God  and  fear  of  the 
King. 

The  seventh  chapter  speaks  of  the  abuses  which 
happen  when  the  governor  goes  the  rounds  of  the 
different  forts  and  cities,  and  of  persons  (some  of 
them  so  grave  in  habit  and  condition,  that  the  sol- 
dier is  silent  with  regard  to  them)  who  come  to  the 
governor  to  tell  him  that  such  a  one  has  a  pretty 
daughter,  that  such  a  one's  husband  is  in  prison. 
There  was  one  governor  or  viceroy  who  asked  a  poor 
man  to  his  face,  who  was  requesting  emplojrment,  to 
give  him  his  daughter  :  the  poor  man  rephed — "  My 
daughter  has  nothing  of  her  own  except  the  being 
honourable  ;  may  God  please  that  I  should  never  do 
such  a  thing."  See  what  a  buffet  was  this  for  a 
governor ;  enough  to  make  him  take  a  cowl,  or  at 
least  arrange  a  good  marriage  for  the  daughter  of 
such  a  father.  The  soldier  next  complains  of  the 
debts  for  supplies  and  stores  not  being  paid  to  those 
who  sold  those  things,  who  are  obliged  to  sell  their 


Ixxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

debt  to  a  favourite  at  a  reduction,  and  the  favourite 
obtains  payment  and  a  large  profit. 

The  eighth  chapter  is  about  the  inutihty  of  send- 
ing overseers  of  the  treasury  to  the  northern  ports, 
and  that  as  they  beg  and  even  bribe  to  obtain  those 
commissions,  it  must  be  in  order  to  serve  themselves : 
it  also  mentions  custom-house  abuses. 

The  ninth  chapter  treats  of  the  fraud  of  antiquated 
payments  to  soldiers  who  are  still  on  the  lists  after 
their  death,  and  whose  pay  is  still  drawn  :  some 
sailors  draw  pay  who  have  not  been  to  sea  for  thirty 
or  forty  years,  and  many  died  long  ago  and  draw 
pay  as  if  they  were  alive. 

The  tenth  is  a  long  chapter  on  the  irregularities  of  the 
accounts  of  Goa,  and  the  abuses  with  respect  to  vari- 
ous institutions;  fencing  schools  had  been  turned  into 
schools  of  dancing,  and  there  was  not  in  all  India  a  bom- 
bardier who  could  hit  the  hill  of  Cintra.  The  Viceroys 
had  usurped  the  nomination  of  the  prelates  of  the 
Franciscan  and  Dominican  friars.  The  soldier  ob- 
serves, that  it  is  a  doctrine  of  theologians  that  if  the 
Lord  were  to  chastise  all  sins  in  this  world,  it  would 
seem  to  remove  our  eyes  from  the  sight  of  the  Last 
Judgment;  for  it  would  be  clear  that  if  everything 
was  paid  for  in  this  world,  there  would  be  nothing 
to  pay  in  the  other:  all  that  he  says,  he  submits  to 
the  correction  of  the  Holy  Church,  as  these  are  not 
matters  in  which  soldiers  have  leave  to  speak. 

The  second  and  third  scenes  of  the  second  part  of 
this  dialogue  repeat  much  that  has  been  said  before 
about  the  neglect  of  the  old  soldiers,  and  that  many 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxv 

persons  named  to  civil  employments  in  preference  to 
old  soldiers,  on  the  ground  of  being  lettered  men, 
really  know  no  more  Latin  or  law  than  the  soldiers. 
These  reflections  of  Diogo  do  Couto  are  strongly  in 
support  of  the  proposition  lately  made  in  British 
India  to  set  apart  a  portion  of  the  civil  appointments 
for  veteran  soldiers. 

Complaint  is  also  made  that  now  that  the  number 
of  judges  had  been  increased,  impunity  for  crimes 
had  increased  also :  whilst  a  number  of  people  live  by 
buying  up  claims  and  legal  rights,  and  go  from  one 
judge  to  another,  and  pass  their  time  in  the  tribunals 
as  if  they  found  there  their  greatest  happiness. 

In  the  third  scene  of  the  third  part,  Diogo  do 
Couto  refers  to  the  opposition  made  by  Francisco 
d' Almeida  to  scattering  forts  in  various  positions  in- 
stead of  relying  upon  the  fleet :  and  says  that  more 
harm  is  done  to  the  honour  of  Portugal  when  one 
of  these  is  lost,  than  advantage  gained  from  these 
forts,  which  only  cause  expenditure  and  supply  no 
revenue. 

The  second  set  of  dialogues,  which  were  written 
first,  treat  of  the  duties  of  the  Viceroy  and  various 
officers  about  him,  and  of  abuses  such  as  have  been 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  dialogues. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  point  out  how  much  of  Diogo 
do  Couto's  observations  upon  the  defects  of  the  Por- 
tuguese administration  in  his  time  appHes  to  our  In- 
dian administration.  Those  who  have  served  in 
India  or  in  other  Asiatic  territories  of  the  British 
Crown  will  be  able  to  make  the  application  for  them- 


Ixxvi  INTRODUCTIOX. 

selves.  It  will  not  be  invidious  to  say  that  legal  de- 
lays and  the  administration  of  justice  are  as  much  a 
matter  of  complaint  now  as  in  Diogo  do  Couto's 
time.  Under  these  circumstances  it  will  be  a  matter 
of  regret  that  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  in  liis 
despatch  refusing  to  grant  the  petition  of  certain 
inhabitants  of  Singapore  for  the  restoration  of  the 
judicial  independence  they  formerly  enjoyed  under 
the  government  of  India,^  should  have  assumed  that 
colonial  judges  are  inferior  to  English  judges,  or  if 
they  were  so,  should  so  quietly  have  acquiesced  in 
such  a  state  of  things.  The  fact  that  Indian  and 
colonial  judges  do  not,  in  the  words  of  this  despatch, 
like  the  English  judges,  "perform  their  functions 
under  the  eye  of  a  numerous  and  highly  educated 
bar,  with  the  assistance  and  imder  the  correction 
of  colleagues  who  are  among  the  first  lawyers  of  the 
world,  and  subject  to  the  observation  of  a  critical 
and  well  informed  press,"  makes  it  imperative  that 
none  but  trustworthy  and  fii-st-rate  men  should  be 
appointed  to  judicial  functions  in  India  and  the 
colonies.^ 

Before  concluding,  I  desire  to  make  my  acknow- 
ledgments to  Senhor  Joam  Basto,  the  Keeper  of  the 
Archives  at  Lisbon,  for  the  very  obliging  manner 
in  which  he  furthered  my  researches,  and  assisted 
me  in  collating  the  copies  of  documents  with  the 
originals. 

^  Despatch  of  September  21,  1868,  Straits  Times,  Singapore, 
November  14,  18G8. 

*  See  Captaiu  Gulliver's  opinion,  voyage  to  the  Houyhuhums, 
cap.  xii. 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxvii 

The  Society  is  indebted  to  Count  Lavradio  for  the 
portrait  of  Gama,  copied  from  an  ancient  picture,  the 
property  of  Count  Lavradio. 

In  another  engraving  are  represented  the  arms  of 
the  family  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  with  the  "  Quinas"  of 
Portugal,  which  the  King  allowed  him  to  quarter, 
p  The  third  plate  contains  a  facsimile  of  the  signature 
of  Gama  and  of  his  two  witnesses,  taken  from  the 
third  document  in  the  Appendix. 

London,  May,  1869. 


I 


CHRONOLOGY  OF   KAMA'S   FIRST  VOYAGE 

TO  INDIA. 


Correa's  Dates.  Poge 

Gama  sails  from  Lisbon  ....  March  25^  1497  .  37 
After  a  Voydgebf  liearlj  five  months, 

arrives  at  St.  Helena  Bay  .  .  August  18  „  .  47-52 
Stands  but'  to  sea  for  one  month, 

then  makes  the  land 60 

Stands  out  to  sea  again  for  tWo 

months,  then  doubles  the  Cape  November  „  .  .  52 
Enters  a  river  east  of  the  Cape  .  November  „  .  .  63 
Enters  other  rivers,  and  leaves  the 

coast ■    .     .     .     end'ofNov.  „       .     55 

Meets  with  a  great  storm"    .     .     .'    Dec.  8  or  12  „       .     56 

Mutiny  of  the  crews December      „       .     59 

Sights  the  coast  of  Natal      .     .     .     Dec.  25  „       .     66 

Enters  the  river  of  Mercy,  or  Dos 

Reis,  or  Do  Cobre Jan.  6,  1498     .     .     67 

Remains  there  a  month,  to  careen 

the    ships,    scurvy   breaks   out, 

breaks  up  Coelho's  ship,  sets  up 

landmark  of  S.  Raphael  .  .  .  January  „  .  .  73 
The  two  ships  leave  the  Rio  dosReis  February  „  .  .  74 
They  sail  for  several  days,  pass  the 

banks  of  Sofala,  and  overhaul  a 

sambuk,  twenty  later  they  reach 

Mozambique        end  of  March  „    .     80 

They  remain  off  Mozambique  20  or 

22  days,  and  leave  Mozambique 

on  Sunday April  8  or  15  „     .     96 


IXXX         CHRONOLOGY  OF  GAMA's  FIRST  VOYAGE. 

Correa's  Dates.  Pa?e 

They  reach  Mombasa       ....  April    21,    1498  .     99 
They    leave    Mombasa    Thursday 

night April  26  „  .  103_ 

They  reach  Melinde  Sunday      .     .  April  29  „  .109 

Stay  at  Melinde  three  months,  and 

leave  it August  6  „  .  141 

They  sight  the  coast  of  India    .     .  August  26        „  .  145 
Remain  at  Calecut  about  70  days 

(Barros  says  74) 222 

Leave     Calecut     and     arrive     off 

Cananor Nov.        „    .     .  .  225 

Leave  Cananor  and  go  to  Angediva  Nov.  20  „   .     .  .  235 

Leave  Angediva  Island    ....  Dec.  10   „   .     239,253 

Reach  Mehnde Jan.    8,    1499  .  253^ 

Leave  Melinde Jan.  20  „  .  259 

Touch  at  Terceira  Island,  burial  of 

Paulo  da  Gama end  of  Aug.  „  .265 

Reach  Lisbon Sept.  18       „  .  266 


^ 


(THE   FIRST   VOYAGE  OF  VASCO  DA  GAMA, 
FROM   THE   "LENDAS   DA  INDIA''   OF 
GASPAR   CORREA) 


The  first  Book  of  the  Discovery  of  India  by  tlie  first  fleet 
which  sailed  from  the  kingdom  in  the  year  one  thousand 
four  hundred  and  ninety-seven;  and  other  four  fleets  of 
captains  of  expeditions,  up  to  the  year  one  thousand  five 
hundred  and  five,  when  Don  Francisco  d' Almeida  went  to 
India,  the  first  conqueror  who  governed  India  four  years. 
Which  I,  Gaspar  Correa,  brought  together  and  wrote,  with 
the  greatest  veracity  with  which  I  have  been  able  to  know 
the  deeds  and  events  of  the  illustrious  captains  who  went 
thither  up  to  the  year  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  nine.^ 

^  This  title-page  of  the  manuscript  of  the  Duke  of  Gor  is  not  given 
in  the  printed  edition  of  Gaspar  Correa,  Lisbon,  1858. 


TO  THE  READER. 


Nothing  of  this  human  hfe  is  so  profitable  to  the  living  as 
the  remembrance  and  memory  of  the  good  and  evil  that  has 
gone  by,  in  order  to  preserve  ourselves  from  evil,  by  guiding 
our  life,  so  as  not  to  fall  into  those  evils,  according  as  the 
good  men  acted;  and  within  the  soul  a  very  pure  love  and 
lively  remembrance  of  those  things  which  the  High  God  was 
pleased  to  suffer  for  the  salvation  of  the  world;  with  perfect 
faith,  which,  if  we  act  righteously,  will  give  us  eternal  glory : 
and  to  those  of  us  who  are  wanting  in  this  remembrance, 
damnation  without  end. 

For  that  which  may  piously  be  believed  is,  that  those  will 
obtain  merit  before  God  who  write  good  things.  I  do  not 
speak  with  respect  to  sacred  writings  which  are  for  the  pur- 
pose of  our  salvation ;  I  only  speak  of  the  good  and  virtuous 
deeds  of  those  who  have  preceded  us,  from  the  memory  and 
remembrance  of  which,  according  as  each  one  has  an  incli- 
nation thereto,  the  fruits  of  satisfaction  may  be  gathered. 
Son?e' persons  have  so  much  enjoyed  these,  that  they  have 
esteemed  it  great  wealth  to  possess  a  large  library,  only  for 
the  pleasure  which  they  derived  from  reading  and  knowing 
things  that  have  passed  by.  I,  the  least  worthy  of  all  who 
have  handed  down  the  deeds  of  others,  with  my  weak  and 
rude  understanding,  direct  my  efforts  to  write  and  relate  the 
affairs  of  India  ;  as  it  appears  to  me  that  in  some  other  time 
they  will  seem  well  to  whoever  hears  them. 

I  chose  to  undertake  this  labour,  bom  of  leisure,  and  so 
unnecessary  for  me,  since  these  things  will  be  related  and 
written  in  such  perfection  in  the  great  chronicle  of  the  most 


4  PROLOGUE    OF 

excellent  King  Dom  Manuel,  who  ordered  the  discovery  of 
India,  and  of  the  illustrious  prince  Dom  Joau^  our  sovereign^ 
and  successor  in  his  glory.  On  account  of  which,  it  remains 
for  me  only  to  be  a  writer  as  an  eye-witness  (and  the  chro- 
nicler of  the  kingdom  is  one  by  hearsay),  and  I  took  up  this 
task  with  pleasure,  because  the  commencements  of  the 
affairs  of  India  were  things  so  gilded,  that  it  seemed  that 
they  had  not  beneath  them  the  iron^  which  later  they  dis- 
covered to  view. 

Following  out  my  resolution  I  went  forward,  in  order  that 
the  work  I  had  already  executed  should  not  be  lost.  Evils 
increased,  the  benefits  diminished ;  thus,  almost  everything 
changed  into  lively  ills,  so  that  the  narrator  of  them  might, 
•with  reason,  be  called  the  imprecator,  and  not  the  eulogist 
of  such  illustrious  deeds  and  events  as  occurred  in  the  dis- 
covery and  conquest  of  so  many  kingdoms  and  lordships  : 
in  the  which,  the  deeds  of  the  Portuguese  appear  more 
wonderful  than  those  of  any  other  nation,  accomplished  with 
such  glorious  honours,  as  Our  Lord  in  his  great  mercy  was 
pleased  to  grant  the  accomplishment  of  by  our  hands,  as 
appears  in  these  days. 

And  as  sixteen  years  had  passed  since  India  had  been 
discovered,  when  I  came  to  it,  a  youth  of  few  years,  without 
any  intention  of  undertaking  this  charge  ;  but  seeing  the 
noble  deeds  which  took  place,  and  the  doubtful  struggles 
which  occurred  later,  I  decided  upon  making  some  brief 
remembrances  with  veracity  of  what  had  happened.  I 
laboured  with  much  care  upon  the  events  which  I  saw,  and 
those  which  had  gone  before,  inquiring  of  the  older  men  who 
had  been  in  this  discovery,  and  removing  doubts  by  means 
of  the  same  men  who  had  been  present  at  the  events  :  in  the 
course  of  which,  I  found  some  men  who  had  come  in  the 
very  ships  of  the  discovery.  Also  by  means  of  some 
memoirs  which  I  found  in  the  possession  of  Moors  and  Gen- 
tiles, and  especially  in  Cananor,  who  wrote  with  surprise  at 


GASPAR   CORREA,  O 

seeing  wtat  they  had  never  imagined.  All  which  I  thus 
collected  together,  and  wrote  with  that  truth  (for  which  I 
pray  our  Lord  to  assist  me  in- the  labours  of  this  life  for  the 
deserving  of  the  true  salvation),  for  with  this  design  I  will 
add  nothing^  to  the  truth  of  what  I  was  able  to  ascertain 
most  certainly.  I  do  not  fear  the  criticism  and  contradiction 
which  many  will  offer  on  various  affairs,  shewing  the  desire 
to  have  it  understood  that  they  were  present  at  them,  and  for 
that  cause  know  them  better,  striving  to  reach  at  the  honour 
which  pertains  to  those  affairs.  And  as  I  am  without  any 
feeling  of  covetousness,  vanity,  or  envy,  I  have  taken  upon 
myself  this  labour  only  to  satisfy  my  desire,  and  to  content 
my  will.  And  I  will  not  write  anything  of  the  countries, 
people,  or  trade,  because  there  were  some  who  occupied 
themselves  with  those  matters :  upon  which  I  saw  some 
volumes,  and  especially  a  book  which  Duarte  Barbosa  made 
respecting  them,  and  wrote  of  the  factory  of  Cananor.^  For 
which,  if  it  please  God,  I  will  only  labour  at  writing  very 
completely  of  the  noble  deeds  of  our  Portuguese  who  warred 
in  these  parts  of  India.  And  of  the  great  and  small,  as  will 
be  necessary  and  reasonable,  I  will  write  with  much  exact- 
ness of  the  good  and  evil  deeds  of  each  one  as  they  happened, 
without  detracting  from  anyone  their  deserts,  either  for 
good  or  evil ;  protesting  that  I  will  not  show  this  book  to 
anyone  in  my  days,  because  after  this  life  is  passed  they  say 
the  same  of  the  good  as  of  the  bad ;  and  there  are  many 
who  correct  other  men's  work  but  no  one  corrects  himself. 
The  great  and  small  having  arrived  at  equality  in  death 
remain  such  as  they  were.  To  God  alone  I  commend  my- 
self; may  He  please  to  assist  me  with  respect  to  my  desire 

'  The  Lisbon  edition  adds  here,  "  nor  diminish." 

*  Da  f  eitoria  de  Cananor.  Damian  de  Goes  also  mentions  as  the  work 
of  Duarte  Barbosa  a  book  describing  the  nations  lying  between  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  and  the  Lequeos,  in  which  he  treats  of  their  customs, 
ceremonies,  and  sects.     Cap.  42. 


6  TO    THE    READER. 

and  purpose,  which  I  entirely  offer  for  His  holy  service  and 
praise;  and  of  His  holy  mercy  may  I  attain  to  ending  my 
days  in  His  holy  service,  and  to  write  and  end  this  work  in 
complete  truth  without  any  failing  of  my  conscience ;  because 
if  I  were  to  write  any  evil  falsehood  of  the  dead,  it  would  be 
a  great  charge  against  me,  and  an  accusation  before  the 
Lord  God. 


CHAPTER  I. 

How  the  King  Dom  Joan  sent  Joan  de  Covilhan  and  Gonzallo  de  Pavia, 
his  equerries,  to  go  and  learn  about  the  countries  of  Prester  John 
of  India. 

During  the  reign  of  Dom  Joan,  the  second  of  that  name  in 
the  kingdom  of  Portugal/  in  the  year  one  thousand  four 

^  Os  Lusiadas,  Canto  IV — 

LX. 

Porem  depois  que  a  escura  noite  eterna, 
Affonso  aposentou  no  Ceo  sereno, 
O  Principe,  que  o  Reyno  entao  governa, 
Foi  Joanne  segundo,  &  Rey  trezeno  : 
Este  por  haver  fama  sempiterua, 
Mais  do  que  tentar  pode  homem  terreno, 
Tentou,  que  foi  buscar  da  roxa  Aurora 
Os  terminos,  que  eu  vou  buscando  agora. 

LXI. 

JSIanda  seis  companheiros,  que  passarao 
Espanha,  Franca,  Italia  celebrada, 
E  hi  no  illustre  porto  se  embarcarao, 
Ohde  ja  foi  Partenope  enterrada  : 
Napoles,  onde  os  fados  a  mostrarao, 
Fazendo  a  varias  gentes  sobjugada, 
Para  a  illustrar  no  fim  de  tantos  annos, 
Co  senhorio  de  inclytos  Ispanos. 

When  endless  night  had  seal'd  his  mortal  eyes, 
And  brave  Alfonso's  spirit  sought  the  skies. 
The  second  of  the  name,  the  valiant  John, 
Our  thirteenth  monarch,  now  ascends  the  throne. 
To  seize  immortal  fame,  his  mighty  mind, 
What  man  had  never  dared  before,  design'd  ; 
That  glorious  labour  which  I  now  pursue. 
Through  seas  unsail'd  to  find  the  shores  that  view 
The  day-star  rising  from  his  watery  bed, 
The  first  grey  beams  of  infant  morning  shed. 

Mickle. 


8  JOURNEY   OF 

hundred  and  eighty-four,  there  came  to  Portugal  the  Bang 
of  Benin,  a  Caffre^  by  nation,  and  he  became  Christian,  with 
many  of  his  people,  as  must  be  related  in  his  chronicle. 
From  this  king,  and  from  his  people,  the  said  King  Dom 
Joan  collected  much  information  about  India  and  its  affairs, 
for  he  was  very  desirous  to  learn  with  much  certainty  that 
the  king  of  it  was  Prester  John,  who  was  a  Christian,  and 
the  lord  of  great  riches.  Which  information  produced  so 
great  an  impression  upon  the  king's  heart,  that  he  became 
possessed  with  an  earnest  resolve  to  send  and  learn  about, 
and  discover  India.  On  which  account,  carrying  out  his 
desire,  he  at  once,  in  the  said  year  (1484)  secretly  sent  two 
young  men  of  his  equerries-  to  learn  of  many  lands,  and 
wander  in  many  parts,  because  they  knew  many  languages. 
To  these  he  gave  many  injunctions  that  each  one  should  go 
wherever  God  gave  him  the  inclination  to  go  ;  and  that  they 
should  labour  earnestly  to  know  about  India,  and  in  what 
direction  it  was,  and  that  they  should  go  there,  and  learn 

He  sent  explorers  forth,  -who  past  athwart 

Spain,  France,  and  ever  famous  Italy. 

There  they  embark'd  at  the  renowned  port 

Where  buried  lay  the  false  Parthenope ; 

Fair  Naples  which  so  long  was  Fortune's  sport, 

So  oft  some  new  assailant's  shppery  fee. 

Until  the  lordly  Spaniard  fix'd  her  fate 

And  made  her  glorious  in  her  last  estate. 

QuillmaJi. 
^  With  the  early  Portuguese  writers  Caffre  means  simply  a  negro  : 
they  took  the  name  from  the  Arabs  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  it  was 
they  who  gave  it  to  those  we  now  call  Caffres.  Barros  mentions  an 
ambassador  of  the  King  of  Benim,  and  not  the  king  himself  as  coming  to 
Portugal.  The  kings  of  Benim  used  then  to  receive  their  investiture 
from  the  Ogane  [of  Abyssinia],  a  sovereign  who  lived  in  great  state 
twenty  months'  journey  to  the  cast  of  Benim. 

2  Camoens  says  he  sent  six  scouts ;  Barros  mentions  two  who  were 
sent  before  these  mentioned  in  the  text,  and  who  went  as  far  as  Jeru- 
salem, but  did  not  venture  to  accompany  the  Abyssinian  monks  who 
visited  Jerusalem,  because  they  did  not  know  Arabic :  these  two  men 
were  Friar  Antony  of  Lisbon  and  Peter  of  iNlontaroyo. 


KINO  John's  scouts.  9 

about  Prester  Jolin,  and  of  what  he  was,  and  bring  him  in- 
formation of  all ;  and  if  he  existed  they  were  to  endeavour 
to  see  him  and  speak  to  him,  visiting  him  on  the  king's  part, 
and  giving  him  an  account  of  the  great  desire  of  the  king  to 
know  him,  and  to  converse  and  become  friends  with  him,  all 
for  the  good  service  of  our  Lord,  being  informed  that  he  was 
a  most  Christian  king ;  and  giving  him  the  best  account 
possible  of  everything  so  that  it  should  appear  well  to  him. 
Of  all  that  they  met  with  they  were  to  obtain  much  infor- 
mation and  take  notes,  so  as  to  bring  him  news  of  all.  The 
king  promised  them  a  large  recompense  for  their  labour,  and 
for  such  great  services  as  they  would  be  rendering  him  ;  and 
for  as  long  as  they  should  continue  in  this  service,  he  would 
take  good  care  for  the  support  of  their  wives  and  children. 
He  directed  them  to  separate  and  go  by  different  roads; 
and  gave  to  each  of  them  letters  of  acknowledgement  of  the 
recompense  which  he  promised  them  if  they  returned  alive, 
or  to  their  sons  and  wives  if  they  sJiould  die  in  this  service. 
And  he  ordered  a  plate  of  brass  like  a  medal  to  be  given  to 
each  of  them,  with  an  inscription  engraved  in  all  languages, 
which  said,  "  The  King  Dom  Joan  of  Portugal,  brother  of 
the  Christian  kings":  that  they  might  show  them  to  Prester 
John,  and  to  whomsoever  they  thought  fit.  One  of  these 
men  was  a  Canarian  by  race,  named  Gonzallo^  de  Pavia,  who 
spoke  Castilian.     The  other  was  natned  Pero  de  Covilhan, 

>  Castanheda  and  De  Barros  call  him  Affonso.  Castanheda  says  they 
were  despatched  on  the  7th  May,  1487,  and  the  king  gave  them  a  map 
on  which  to  mark  their  track,  and  four  hundred  cruzados,  of  which  they 
took  what  they  wanted  and  deposited  the  rest  with  the  Florentine  banker 
Bartolameu ;  they  reached  Barcelona  on  the  day  of  Corpus,  and  went  on 
to  Naples,  which  they  reached  on  St.  John's  day ;  thence  they  were 
forwarded  by  the  sons  of  Cosmo  de  Medici.  Barros  says  they  were 
despatched  by  the  king  in  Santarem  on  the  7th  of  May,  1487,  and  that 
they  went  to  Naples,  where  they  embarked  for  Rhodes,  and  there 
lodged  with  the  Portuguese  knights  Fray  Gonzalo  and  Fray  Fernando. 
Thence  they  went  to  Alexandria,  Cairo,  and  Toro  (probably  Mount 
Sinai),   where   they   separated :  Alfonso   da   Paiva  went  to   Ethiopia, 


10  JOURNEY    OF 

being  a  native  of  the  village  of  Covilhan.  These  men  being 
thus  instructed,  the  king  gave  to  each  one  some  precious 
stones  to  sell  for  their  expenses,  and  despatched  them. 
They  both  in  company  took  the  road  to  Venice ;  and  in  the 
pilgrim  galleys,  and  strange  dresses  passed  to  Turkey,  and 
went  to  Alexandria  in  the  guise  of  merchants,  in  whose 
company  they  put  themselves,  serving  them  for  wages,  and 
with  them  they  passed  in  the  cai'avan  to  Mecca  ;  always  in- 
quiring and  obtaining  information  of  what  concerned  them, 
and  there  they  took  counsel  together  and  separated.  And 
Gonzallo  de  Pavia  undertook  his  journey  to  India,  and  went 
to  Calicut,  and  ran  along  all  the  coast  as  far  as  Cambay  in 
company  with  a  Jewish  merchant,  with  whom  he  formed 
such  a  friendship  that  he  informed  him  of  all  his  business  ; 

and  Pero  de  Covilhan  to  Aden,  Cananor,  Calicut,  and  Goa ;  there  he 
embarked  for  Sofala,  and  returned  thence  to  Aden  and  Cairo,  where 
he  had  news  that  his  companion  da  Paiva  had  lately  died  in  that 
city.  In  Cairo  he  learned  that  two  Sj^anish  Jews  were  seeking 
him,  one  named  Rabbi  Abraham,  a  native  of  Beja,  and  the  other  Joseph, 
a  shoemaker  of  Lamego  ;  these  had  been  sent  by  the  King  of  Portugal. 
In  accordance  with  the  king's  desire,  Covilhan  wrote  to  him,  and  sent 
him  information  by  the  Jew  Joseph,  and  set  out  with  Abraham  to  Aden, 
whence  they  went  to  Ormuz.  There  he  left  Abraham,  who  returned  by 
way  of  Aleppo,  and  he  went  back  to  the  Red  Sea  and  to  the  court  of 
the  Pre.ster  John,  who  was  named  Alexander,  which  they  call  Escander, 
who  received  Covilhan  with  honour.  Alexander  died  shortly  after,  and 
his  brother  Naut  reigned  in  his  stead ;  he  made  little  account  of  Covilhan, 
and  would  not  give  him  leave  to  depart  from  the  kingdom.  After  many 
years,  in  1515,  or  1520  according  to  Correa  and  San  Roman,  David  the  son 
of  this  Xaut  then  reigning,  Rodrigo  de  Lima,  ambassador  of  Dom  Manuel 
having  asked  for  Peter  of  Covilhan,  the  Abyssinian  king  still  refused 
him  leave  to  go,  saying  that  his  predecessors  had  given  him  lands  upon 
which  to  live  with  his  wife  and  children.  And  by  means  of  this  em- 
bassy of  D.  Rodrigo  news  was  had  of  Covilhan,  for  he  gave  an  account 
of  his  journey,  and  confessed  to  a  jiriest  Francisco  Alvarez,  who  accom- 
panied D.  Rodrigo  and  wrote  an  account  of  the  embassy. 

Castanheda  says  that  Covilhan  wrote  to  D.  Joam  by  the  Jewish  mes- 
senger Joseph  that  Calicut  and  Cananor  were  on  the  coast,  and  that  it 
was  possible  to  navigate  thither  by  his  coast  and  the  sea  of  Guinea,  first 
inakinff  for  Sofala. 


KING  John's  scouts.  11 

and  with  this  Jew  he  turned  back,  going  by  Ormuz,  where 
he  died ;  for  which  the  Jew  felt  great  grief,  and  promised 
him  that  he  would  endeavour  to  go  to  Portugal  to  give  an 
account  to  the  king  of  the  things  which  he  wished  to  know, 
for  which  the  king  would  give  him  a  great  reward.  For 
certifying  the  truth  he  was  to  take  to  him  the  metal  plate 
which  he  carried  with  him.  This  the  Jew  carried  out ;  but 
before  that,  much  time  elapsed  before  he  came  to  Portugal,  the 
ships  having  already  departed  which  went  to  discover  India. 
Peter  of  Covilhan,  from  Mecca  took  the  road  to  Egypt  along 
the  sea-shore,  passing  by  many  towns,  and  went  as  far  as 
the  country  of  the  Prester,  and  went  to  where  he  was  and 
spoke  to  him,  and  gave  him  an  account  of  his  journey,  and 
of  having  come  to  seek  for  him  ;  at  which,  the  Prester  was 
greatly  pleased,  and  read  the  letters  on  the  metal  plate, 
which  were  in  Chaldee,  his  own  language,  to  which  he  gave 
much  credit,  because  he  and  his  ancestors  had  their  own 
information  by  hearsay  respecting  the  great  kings  there 
were  in  Christendom.  This  was  related  to  him  by  some  of 
his  people  whom,  at  times,  he  sent  to  visit  Jerusalem  and 
the  Pope  of  Rome,  on  which  account  they  always  had  a  great 
desire  to  hear  about  them  and  to  communicate  with  them  : 
for  this  reason  they  paid  great  honours  to  Peter  of  Covilhan, 
and  gave  him  lands  and  lordships  as  Count,  with  many 
vassals  and  rents.  These  Peter  of  Covilhan  did  not  wish  to 
accept,  as  he  desired  to  return  with  his  message  to  the  king. 
But  the  Prester  said  that  he  should  stay  in  his  country  not 
to  die  on  the  road,  and  not  to  lose  so  good  a  commencement 
as  he  had  made  ;  because  he  wished  to  send  a  servant  of  his 
to  Rome,  who  should  go  from  Rome  to  Portugal ;  and 
during  this  time  his  other  companion  would  arrive,  and  if  he 
did  not  come,  then  he  could  do  as  seemed  fit  to  him. 
Meanwhile,  he  wished  him  to  get  sons  and  a  lineage,  who 
would  remain  to  him  as  a  remembrance  until  he  saw  that 
which  he  so  greatly  desired.     Peter  of  Covilhan  struggled 


12  VOYAGE    OF 

much  against  this,  but  the  Prester  did  not  choose  otherwise; 
and  so  he  remained  until  his  time  came,  as  I  will  relate 
farther  on  in  its  place. 


CHAPTER  11. 


How  the  King  sent  Janifante  with  four  caravels  to  discover  the  coast 
of  Guin6.' 

The  King  Dom  Joan,  in  pursuance  of  his  great  desire,  spoke 
with  one  Janifante,  a  foreign  merchant,  who  frequently  came 

'  The  account  given  by  Barros  here  also  differs  from  that  of  Gaspar 
Correa.  Barros  assigns  the  chief  command  to  Bartholomew  Dias,  a 
gentleman  of  the  king's  household :  he  says  the  fleet  consisted  of  three 
vessels,  two  of  fifty  tons  each,  and  a  small  vessel  with  supplementary 
provisions;  and  that  they  sailed  at  the  end  of  August  1486.  Peter 
d' Alanquer  was  pilot  of  Bartholomew  Dias'  ship ;  Joam  Infante,  another 
gentleman,  was  captain  of  the  second  ship,  which  was  named  the  San 
Panteleam,  and  its  pilot  was  Alvaro  Martins;  the  provision  ship  was 
commanded  by  Peter  Dias,  brother  of  Bartholomew,  and  its  pilot  was 
Joam  de  Sant  lago.  Although  Diogo  Cam  had  discovered  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five  leagues  of  coast  beginning  from  Cape  St.  Catherine  up  to 
the  cape  named  do  Padrao,  after  passing  the  river  of  Congo,  Bartholo- 
mew Dias  followed  the  coast  until  reaching  Angra  do  Salto,  so  named 
from  two  negroes  whom  Diogo  Cam  carried  off  from  there,  whom  Dias 
brought  back  to  that  place.  Dias  set  up  a  landmark  named  Sant  lago 
in  Serra  parda,  another  to  St.  Philip  at  the  great  and  notable  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  another  of  Holy  Cross  in  the  island  of  that  name. 
After  leaving  Angra  das  voltas  in  twenty-nine  degrees  south  latitude, 
Dias  ran  for  thirteen  days  with  the  sails  hoisted  half  way  up  the  mast, 
when,  the  wind  lessening,  they  sought  the  land,  which  they  found  ran 
eastwards,  and  which  hitherto  had  been  in  general  north  and  south. 
Seeing  that  for  some  days  they  did  not  meet  the  land,  they  took  a 
northerly  course  and  came  to  a  bay,  which  they  named  dos  Vaqueiros, 
on  account  of  the  many  cows  which  they  saw  on  shore  tended  by  their 
herdsmen.  Running  along  the  coast,  they  came  to  an  island  in  thirty- 
three  degrees  and  three-quarters,  half  a  league  from  the  mainland,  which 
they  named  Santa  Cruz,  and  because  there  were  two  springs  in  it  they 
named  it  Penedo  das  Pontes.  Here  the  crews  complained  greatly  and 
wislied  to  turn  back,  but  the  Captain  Dias  persuaded  them  to  go  on  two 


JAN    INFANTE.  13 

to  Lisbon,  and  knew  much  of  the  art  of  navigation,  and  he 
made  an  agreement  with  him,  to  give  him  ships  and  men, 
and  all  that  was  necessary,  without  his  spending  any  more 
than  his  own  labour ;  and  that  he  should  go  and  run  down 
the  coast  of  Benim,  and  run  along  it  as  far  as  he  could,  until 
he  had  expended  his  provisions  :  and  that  in  all  the  new 
countries  which  he  should  discover  and  settle,  he  would  give 
him  such  recompenses  in  them,  that  he  would  esteem  himself 
fortunate.  The  said  Janifante  accepted  this,  giving  a  pro- 
mise to  the  king  that  he  would  not  value  his  life  to  serve 
him.  The  king  at  once  fitted  out  four  caravels,  which  Jani- 
fante selected  at  his  pleasure  in  the  river  of  Lisbon,  and  the 
whole  of  the  cargo  of  the  caravels  consisted  of  provisions  ; 
and  for  merchandize,  copper  bracelets  and  brass  basons, 
rattles  and  little  bells,  looking   glasses,  knives,    coloured 

or  three  days  more,  and  then  return  if  they  found  nothing  to  induce 
them  to  continue:  to  this  they  agreed.  At  the  end  of  these  days  they 
only  came  to  a  river,  which  is  twenty-five  leagues  further  on  than  Santa 
Cruz  Island,  in  thirty-two  degrees  and  two-thirds:  and  as  Captain  Joam 
Infante  was  the  first  to  land,  the  river  was  named  do  Infante.  Here 
the  crews  renewed  their  complaints,  and  Dias  returned  with  great  regret, 
and  left  the  landmark  in  Sta.  Cruz  with  as  much  grief  as  if  he  had  left 
there  a  son  banished  for  ever.  Leaving  that  place  they  saw  the  great 
and  notable  cape,  concealed  for  so  many  hiindred  years,  which  Diaa 
named  Cape  of  Storms,  but  the  Bang  Dom  Joam  when  he  arrived  gave 
it  the  more  illustrious  name  of  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Dias  then  placed 
there  the  landmark  of  St.  Philip,  and  then  made  for  the  provision  ship, 
which  they  had  left  nine  months  before ;  of  nine  men  who  had  remained 
with  it,  three  only  were  alive,  and  one  of  these,  Fernando  Colazo,  a  na- 
tive of  Lumiar  of  the  district  of  Lisbon,  who  was  a  clerk,  died  of  joy, 
being  very  weak  with  illness.  Dias  returned  in  December  of  1487, 
having  left  Lisbon  sixteen  months  and  seventeen  days  before.  He  dis- 
covered three  himdred  and  fifty  leagues  of  coast,  which  was  as  much  as 
Diogo  Cam  had  discovered  in  two  voyages.  Decade  i,  lib.  iii,  cap.  iv. 
B.  Dias  in  1500  commanded  a  ship  in  the  fleet  which  saUed  to  India 
after  the  return  of  Vasco  da  Gama.  His  ship  and  three  others  foundered 
in  a  tempest  between  Brazil  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on  the  23rd  of 
May.  On  the  12th  of  May  a  comet  appeared  towards  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  was  seen  for  eight  days,  and  was  supposed  to  have  prognos- 
ticated the  sad  fate  of  the  four  ships. 


14  VOYAGE    OF 

cloths,  and  coloured  silks.  All  being  disposed  in  good  order, 
he  set  out,  taking  in  the  caravels  only  seafaring  men.  Thus 
he  always  ran  along  the  coast  of  Guine,  because  he  always 
navigated  in  sight  of  land,  taking  soundings,  and  writing 
down  all  that  he  saw  for  the  knowledge  of  the  countries. 
He  proceeded  so  far  as  that  the  coast  began  to  turn  sea- 
ward, and  met  with  contrary  winds,  and  struggled  on, 
tacking  frequently,  now  towards  the  land  and  now  towards 
the  sea,  with  such  great  storms  and  high  seas,  that  they 
threatened  to  swallow  up  his  ships.  When  he  saw  that  the 
winds  were  general,  without  ever  changing,  and  as  four 
months  had  passed  that  they  were  beating  about  to  land- 
ward and  seaward,  and  that  going  out  to  sea  he  found  the 
waves  so  great  that  he  could  not  navigate  amongst  them 
with  the  caravels,  and  the  people  clamoured  to  him  greatly 
not  to  give  them  such  superfluous  labour,  with  such  risk  to 
their  Kves,  and  so  little  profit,  as  they  had  been  so  long 
going  on  in  this  way,  and  it  was  now  well-known  that  there 
was  no  other  weather.  Janifante  seeing  that  they  were 
speaking  the  truth,  and  that  there  were  no  more  provisions, 
put  back  and  betook  himself  to  the  king,  and  gave  him  an 
account  of  his  voyage.  He  reported  that  if  he  were  to  take 
tall  ships  with  which  he  could  stand  out  more  to  sea,  that  he 
could  go  much  farther  on,  because  when  he  again  saw  land, 
he  found  countries  which  he  had  not  before  seen ;  but  that, 
with  large  ships  which  could  resist  the  waves,  he  could,  by 
beating  up,  run  along  the  coast  until  he  discovered  the 
cape :  without  any  doubt,  he  had  certain  hope  that  beyond 
it  he  should  discover  great  countries.  The  king  listened  to 
all  he  said,  and  replied,  that  he  rejoiced  greatly  at  what  he 
related  to  him,  and  that  he  should  rest  until  he  had  ordered 
large  and  strong  ships  to  be  built,  with  which  he  might  sail 
against  the  storms  and  seas,  to  discover  for  him  the  cape  of 
that  land  of  which  he  gave  him  such  good  hope,  and  so  also 
he  trusted  in  God.     "  I  order  you  to  construct  the  ships 


JAN    INFANTE.  15 

according  to  your  will,  and  you  shall  return  to  discover  this 
Cape  of  such  Good  Hope  as  you  give  me."  He  granted 
favours  to  Janifante,  and  payment  to  the  sailors  who  went 
with  him ;  and  upon  these  he  placed  a  strong  prohibition 
not  to  go  out  of  the  kingdom,  because  they  were  to  go  with 
Janifante  in  another  fleet  which  he  would  again  send  to  dis- 
cover the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  they  had  not  been 
able  to  discover  with  the  caravels  :  and  he  ordered  them  to 
labour  in  his  ship-building  yard,  where  he  gave  them 
provisions  for  their  maintenance,  because  they  were  not  to 
sail  out  of  the  kingdom.  On  this  account  the  king  at  once 
commanded  timber  to  be  cut  down  in  the  woods  and  barren 
lands,  which  the  carpenters  aiid  shipwrights  ordered  for 
cutting,  which  was  brought  to  Lisbon,  where  three  large 
ships  were  at  once  begun  of  the  size  which  Janifante  ordered; 
because  the  king  commanded  that  they  should  be  built  as  he 
ordered,  and  he  ordered  that  they  should  be  built  of  very 
strong  timber.  While  he  was  occupied  in  this  business  he 
fell  ill  and  died ;  at  which  the  king  felt  much  grief,  and  gave 
orders  for  desisting  from  the  work  until  he  should  find  a  man 
to  his  pleasure  whom  he  might  charge  with  the  discovery 
which  he  so  greatly  desired  to  make. 


CHAPTER  III. 

How,  by  the  death  of  the  King  Dom  Joam,  the  King  Dom  Manoel,  who 
succeeded  to  the  kingdom,  occupied  himself  with  the  discovery  of 
India. 

At  this  time  also  an  illness  overtook  the  king,  which  gave 
him  care  aiid  occupation,  so  that  he  could  no  longer  look 
after  the  building  of  the  three  ships,  until  the  year  1495,  when 
he  died  of  his  illness  in  Alvor^ ;  and  there  succeeded  him  as 

^  On  the  25th  of  October,  Castanheda.   D.  Manuel  received  the  sceptre 


16  DOM    MANUEL 

king  the  King  Dom  Manoel.  He  provided  for  the  affairs  of 
the  kingdom  as  he  thought  fitting ;  and  after  all  had  been 
set  in  order^  being  inspired  by  Our  Lord,  he  took  the  reso- 
lution to  learn  and  inform  himself  about  the  affairs  of  India,^ 
for  he  knew  that  the  king  had  had  so  great  a  desire  in  this 
matter  that  he  had  sent  his  two  equerries,  from  whom  there 
had  not  been  any  answer.  He  (Dom  Joam)  only  had  infor- 
mation by  means  of  letters  which  he  wrote  respecting  this  to 
Venice,  to  a  principal  merchant,  a  great  friend  of  his,  who 
negociated  and  executed  his  commissions.  From  him  he  had 
received  answers,  in  which  he  gave  him  a  long  account  of 
India,  and  of  its  great  riches  and  trade  which  issued  from  it 
by  many  seas  and  lands,  by  which  way  there  came  rich  mer- 
chandise and  aroniatic  spices  to  Alexandria,  from  which  the 
Turk  drew  great  profits ;  and  from  that  place  the  merchan- 
dise came  by  the  trading  of  the  merchants  who  brought  it 
to  Venice.     This  was  the  greatest  trade  which  there  was  in 

at  Alcacer  do  Sal  on  the  27tli  October,  Barros ;  Osorio  also  says  that 
D.  Manuel,  who  was  then  twenty-six  years  old,  was  residing  at  Alcacer, 
Solatia,  which  the  Paris  version  of  1581  translates  Lisbon. 
I  Os  Lusiadas,  iv,  Ixvi — 

Parece,  que  guardava  o  claro  Ceo 

A  Manoel,  &  seus  merecimientos 

Esta  empresa  tam  ardua,  que  o  moveo 

A  subidos,  &  illustres  movimentos : 

Manoel,  que  a  Joanne  succedeo 

No  Reyno,  &  nos  altivos  pensamentos : 

Logo  como  tomou  do  Reyno  o  cargo, 

Tomou  mais  a  conquista  do  mar  largo. 

Seems,  gracious  Heav'n,  reserved  for  thee  alone, 
Emanuel,  and  for  thy  great  desart 
So  hard  a  worke :  for  thee  with  thoughts  high-flown 
Inspir'd,  and  cut  out  fit  to  act  this  part. 
Manuel  (succeeding  John,  both  in  the  throne. 
And  in  the  haughty  purpose  of  his  heart) 
When  first  he  took  on  him  the  kingdom's  charge. 
The  conquest  undertook  oth'  ocean  large. 

Fanshaw. 


SUCCEEDS    TO    THE    THRONE.  17 

Venice,  because  it  went  thence  to  all  parts,  so  that  some- 
times the  galleys  of  Venice  came  to  Spain  and  went  to  sell 
at  Lisbon,  as  he  had  seen,  but  in  what  part  India  lay  he  was 
unable  to  tell  him.  This,  however,  was  an  affair  for  a  great 
prince  to  undertake  and  endeavour  to  discover  and  conquer 
it,  and  adventure  in  this  his  whole  kingdom  and  power ;  for 
if  it  pleased  Our  Lord  to  shew  it  to  him  and  make  him  lord 
of  it,  he  would  be  exalted  in  riches  and  grandeur  over  all  the 
Christian  princes,  and  he  would  be  of  glorious  memory  for 
the  exaltation  of  our  holy  faith.  By  these  letters  the  {late) 
king  was  incited  to  his  great  desire ;  and  the  reading  of 
them  by  the  King  Dom  Manoel,  who  found  them  in  a  chest 
of  the  king's  papers,  caused  him  to  feel  a  great  longing  to 
order  the  making  of  the  discovery  of  India  ;^  and  having 
directed  his  intellect  to  this  care,  as  a  very  prudent  man, 
and  one  of  good  counsel,  he  chose  first  to  obtain  information 
of  the  facts,  and  of  what  he  could  do,  before  commencing  so 
great  an  enterprise.  Not  being  willing  to  risk  in  vain  his  ex- 
penditure and  the  lives  of  his  vassals,  he  determined  first  to 
possess  true  information,  and  would  not  commence  an  affair 
which  he  was  not  to  bring  to  a  conclusion ;  especially  so 
great  a  one  as  this,  and  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign. 
Because  it  was  fitting  in  this  matter,  and  also  because  he 
was  some  little  inclined  to  astronomical  matters,  he  sent  to 
Beja  to  summon  a  Jew  with  whom  he  was  very  well  ac- 
quainted, who  was  a  great  astrologer,  named  (^acoto  ;^  with 

'  Castanheda  says  D.  Manuel  profited  much  by  the  instructions  and 
regulations  for  this  navigation  left  by  D.  Joam. 

2  This  man  was  the  "  celebrated  mathematician,  Abraham  Zakut," 
mentioned  by  Rodriguez  de  Castro  in  his  Bibliotheca  Rabhinica  Espanola^ 
vol.  i,  p.  544,  whose  descendants  abjured  Judaism ;  some  of  these 
relapsed,  one  of  whom  was  Zacuth,  who  was  born  in  Lisbon  in  1575, 
and  wrote — De  Praxi  Medica  admiranda,  Amsterdam,  1634 ;  Be 
medicorum  principum  hisioria,  Amsterdam,  1629 ;  and  Introitus  ad 
Praxin  et  Pharmacopoeam,  Amsterdam,  1641.  All  these  works  of 
Zacuth  are  in  two  volumes  of  the  edition  of  Lyons  1657,  in  the  library 
at  Oxford.  [The 


18  THE    JEWISH   ASTRONOMER 

whom  he  spoke  in  great  secret,  and  charged  him  to  ascertain 
whether  he  should  advise  him  to  engage  himself  in  the  dis- 

The  language  of  Gaspar  Correa  in  relating  this  interview  of  the  king 
with  the  Jew  shows  the  confusion  still  existing  between  astronomy  and 
astrology.  Alfonso  X  of  Spain  constantly  consulted  Mussulman  and 
Jewish  learned  men.  Other  writers  subsequent  to  Correa,  such  as 
Barros,  San  Roman,  Castanheda,  etc.,  do  not  mention  this  consultation 
held  by  Dom  Manuel  at  all,  probably  because  in  their  time  such  a  pro- 
ceeding would  have  been  described  as  Judaism  and  necromancy.  Rodri- 
guez de  Castro  mentions  that  the  head  of  the  Zafcut  family  was  ennobled, 
which  seems  to  confirm  Correa's  anecdote.  Camoens  represents  Dom 
Manuel  as  seeing  two  persons  in  a  dream,  the  Ganges  and  the 
Indus,  who  make  to  him  predictions  similar  to  those  of  the  Israelite 
astrologer  and  mathematician.^    The  Zacut  who  was  consulted  by  D. 


'  Canto  IV,  71— 

l)as  aguas  se  Ihe  antolha  que  sahiam, 
Para  elle  os  largos  passos  inclinando, 
Dous  homens  que  mui  velhos  pareciam, 
De  aspecto,  inda  que  agreste,  venerando. 
Das  pontas  dos  cabellos  Ihe  caliiam 
Gottas,  que  o  corpo  todo  vao  banhando  ; 
A  cor  da  peUe,  ba9a  a  denegrida  ; 
A  barba  hirsuta,  intonsa,  mas  comprida. 

72. 
D'ambos  de  dous  a  fronte  coroada 
Ramos  nao  conhecidos,  e  hervas  tinha : 
Hum  delles  a  presen^a  traz  cansada, 
Conio  quem  de  mais  longe  alii  caminha  : 
E  assi  a  agoa,  com  impeto  alterada, 
Parecia,  que  de  outra  parte  vinha, 
Bern  como  Alfeo  de  Arcadia  em  Syracusa 
Vai  a  buscar  os  bracjos  de  Aretusa. 

73. 
Este,  que  era  o  mais  grave  na  pessoa, 
Desta  arte  para  o  Rey  de  longe  brada : 
O  tu,  a  cujos  Reynos,  e  Coroa, 
Grande  parte  do  mundo  esta  guardada  : 
Nosoutros,  cuja  fama  tanto  voa, 
Cuja  cerviz  hem  nunca  foi  domada, 
Te  avisamos,  que  he  tempo,  que  ja  maudes 
A  reccber  de  nos  tributos  jirandcs. 


ABRAHAM    ZACUT.  19 

covery  of  India,  and  if  it  was  a  matter  which  might  come  to 
pass,  so  that  the  labour  which  would  be  necessary  for  this 

Manuel  appears  to  have  written  a  book  on  the  Climate  of  Portugal. 
This  book  was  in  1786  amongst  the  MSS.  of  Alcoba^a,  but  is  now  lost. 
Manuel  de  Faria  y  Sousa,  second  edition,  Lisbon,  1680,  tome  iii,  part  iv, 
cap.  ix,  gives  an  extract  from  Zacut's  Prologue  addressed  to  the  King. 
Rabbi  Abraham  Zacut  is  also  the  author  6f  an  almanack  beginning 
from  1473,  in  which  he  is  mentioned  as  the  astronomer  of  D.  Manuel. 
This  almanack  was  translated  into  Latin  from  the  Hebrew  by  Master 
Joseph  Vizinus,  his  disciple,  and  printed  at  Leiria  in  1496.  Brunet 
says  only  one  copy  of  it  is  known  to  exist  in  the  Royal  Library  at 
Lisbon.  Besides  that,  there  is  one  in  the  National  Library,  another  in 
that  of  the  Academy  of  Lisbon,  and  a  third  in  the  library  at  Evora. 
This  almanack  begins  with  a  dedicatory  epistle  from  Zacut  to  the 
Bishop  of  Salamanca.  Brunet  mentions  two  other  editions,  Venice 
1496  and  1502;  there  is  another,  or  recast  of  the  book,  called  "Almanach 
perpetuum  sive  tacuinus,  Ephemerides  &  diarium  Abraami  Zacuti  hebrei," 
printed  at  Venice  in  1525,  with  corrections  by  Dr.  Luca  Guarici. 

The  library  of  the  Academy  of  History,  Madrid,  possesses  a  MS., 
proceeding  from  the  Jesuits'  library,  of  Abraham  Zacut,  in  Spanish, 
named  '■'•  Ajuntandento  mayor  con  el  tratado  de  las  Nacencias:  et 
Almanach  omnium  planetarum  &  est  tam  ad  revolutiones  prseteritas 
quam  ad  futuras ;  et  est  ejus  principium  anni  1473  inclusive,  et  primo 


74. 
Eu  sou  o  illustre  Ganges,  que  na  terra 
Celeste  tenho  o  berc^o  verdadeiro, 
Estoutro  he  o  Indo  IJey,  que  nesta  serra 
Que  ves,  seu  nascimento  tem  pnmeiro  : 
Custar-te-hemos  com  tudo  dura  guerra, 
Mas  insistindo  tu  por  derradeiro, 
Com  nao  vistas  victorias  sem  receyo, 
A  quantas  gentes  ves  poras  o  freyo. 

Canto  IV,  71. 
From  out  those  fountains  seem'd  to  issue  then, 
Advancing  to  him  with  gigantic  stride. 
Two  very  ancient  venerable  men 
Of  noble  aspect,  dash'd  with  rustic  pride. 
Dripp'd  from  their  drenchM  locks  the  water  sheen 
Adown  their  vasty  limbs  on  every  side, 
Thick  matted  beards,  but  long  and  silver-white, 
Flow'd  o'er  their  tawny  breasts  like  streams  of  light. 


20  THE    JEWISH    ASTRONOMER 

should  not  be  lost  in  vain  ;  for  if  it  were  a  possible  thing,  he 
had  the  will  and  readiness  to   spend  upon  it  all  that  was 

ponuntur  revolutiones  solis."    This  MS.  is  in   good  writing  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  on  paper  bearing  the  mark  of  the  time  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella:  it  is  in  two  columns;  at  the  top  of  the  first  column 
there  is  written,  in  paler  ink  and  in  a  different  hand — 
"  abraem  zechut  ebreus  composuit 
inter  alios  istum  librum  qui  vulgari  ser- 
mone  ajuntami*"'"  maior  apellat"' 
qui  utinam  deum  trinu  et  unum  instar  christia- 
nor'""  cognovisset." 
The  MS.  begins— 

"  por  q'  ya  es  aclarado  q'  la  rrayz  e  el 
prt(jipio  para  alcancjar  la  scieta 


72. 
Their  temples  with  wild  coronals  were  bound. 
Mysterious  wreaths  of  boughs  and  herbs  unknown. 
One  weary  seem'd,  as  if  from  other  ground 
He  came  and  thence  had  travellVl  far  alone. 
His  flood  too  roll'd  with  other  force  and  sound, 
As  though  from  some  remoter  fount  come  down, 
So  stole  from  Arcady  to  Syracuse 
Alpheus  to  rejoin  his  Arethuse. 

73. 
And  he,  the  graver  elder  of  the  twain, 
The  King  thus  greeted,  shouting  from  afar  : 
"  O  thou,  the  monarch  for  whose  crown  and  reign 
Regions  immense  reserved  and  destined  are. 
We,  whose  renown  is  known  to  land  and  main, 
We,  yet  untaught  a  stranger's  yoke  to  bear. 
Unwilling  come  to  tell  thee  'tis  thy  time 
To  claim  vast  tribute  of  our  gorgeous  clime. 

74. 
"  I  am  illustrious  Ganges  !  my  true  fount 
Is  in  the  hidden  groves  of  Paradise  : 
And  this,  O  King  !  is  Indus  ;  from  the  mount 
He  springs  which  yonder  .stands  before  thine  eyes  ; 
On  many  a  deadly  struggle  must  thou  count 
Ere  we  are  thine ;  persist  and  win  tlie  prize. 
By  matchless  victories  thy  constant  arm 
Shall  tame  the  nations  that  beneath  thee  swarm." 

(Juillinan. 


ABRAHAM    ZACUT.  21 

possible,  but  be  would  do  nothing  in  it  without  his  counsel, 
and  for  that  he  had  summoned  him,    and   for   the    same 

del  astrologia  es  a  saber  perfgta- 
mente  los  mouimentos  del  sol  e  de  la  luna 
q'  se  llama  en  uocablo  de  los  sabios  thalimoh 
cuenta  de  circulos  e  signos.     e  tanbie  la  Ua- 
maro  secrete  de  hibur  en  el  libro  q'  La- 
bia de  los  hechos  del  prim°  dia  del  ano.     en- 
pero  segti  la  verdad  no  es  este  el  q'  madaro 
q'  fuese  secreto  segu  q'  parece  por  sus  pala- 
bras  en  el  libro  de  los  cassamientos.     por 
eso  puse  mis  cJjos  e  mi  cora^o  para  igua- 
lar  todos  sus  movimientos  porq'  sean  cla- 
ras  a  todos  nosotros  sus  diversidades  por 
su  curso  verdadero." 
This  MS.  ends— 

"  E  a  las  vezes  hallares  estrella  q'  tie- 
ne  coplexio  de  dos  p**'  q'ndo  se  junta  e  obra 
aq'lla  estrella  en  su  cabo  como  aq'llas  dos 
ptaB  juntas.     Aqui  se  acaba  este  capitulo 
muy  honrrado  e  p''''veitoso  e  coplimi°  de  n'ro 
libro  mayor.     Deo  gratias." 
The  following  account  of  Zacut  and  of  his  science  is  given  by  Gaspar 
Correa  in  his  Lendas  da  India^  between  the  histories  of  Joao  da  Nova 
and  Vasco  da  Gama's  second  voyage  : — 

"  The  king  was  much  inclined  to  astronomy  (estrolomia),  for  which 
reason  he  frequently  conversed  with  the  Jew  Zacuto,  because  he  found 
him  very  exact  in  everything ;  and  these  ships  having  arrived  thus  [four 
ships  of  Joam  da  Nova  which  reached  Lisbon  in  August  1502],  and 
telling  him  that  they  had  not  met  with  any  contrary  storm  on  their 
way,  the  others  having  experienced  so  many  tempests,  the  king  spoke  of 
this  to  the  pilots,  who  could  give  him  no  reason  for  it ;  and  one  day  the 
Jew  Zacuto  being  present,  and  hearing  it  all,  he  said  to  the  king :  '  Sire, 
the  sea  which  your  ships  traverse  is  very  large ;  in  some  parts  of  it  it  is 
summer,  in  others  winter,  and  all  in  one  course  ;  and  two  ships  may  go, 
one  after  the  other,  and  both  by  the  same  course,  one  will  arrive  in  a 
region  where  it  is  then  winter  and  will  meet  with  storms ;  and  when 
the  other  arrives  there  it  will  be  summer,  and  it  will  not  meet  with  the 
storm  which  the  other  found :  and  this  is  why  some  will  meet  with 
storms  and  others  not.  And  the  reason  why  the  winters  and  summers 
are  not  fixed  in  any  certain  spot,  is  because  the  sea  is  very  wide  and 
desert,  remote  from  the  land,  and  the  storms  and  calms  take  their 
course  in  many  uncertain  parts.     But  when  the  navigators  of  this  course 


22  THE    JEWISH    ASTRONOMER 

strongly  recorameiideJ  to  him  to  look  and  see  with  attention 
what  he  could  ascertain  about  this  from  his  good  science, 

shall  have  more  experience  in  making  their  course,  and  they  know  how 
to  take  the  summer  which  there  is  in  the  open  sea  between  here  and  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  both  in  going  and  coming,  they  will  make  this 
voyage  in  a  very  short  time,  and  will  go  and  come  without  labour  and 
in  safety,  if  they  are  prudent  in  their  navigation.  Since,  Sire,  with  the 
great  desire  which  I  feel  for  your  service,  I  have  laboured  much  to  com- 
prehend the  secrets  of  this  navigation,  I  have  understood  that  the  de- 
parture of  the  sun  causes  the  storms  and  irregularities  of  the  weather ; 
because,  when  the  sun  removes  from  the  equinoctial  line  to  the  northern 
parts,  the  southern  part  remains  dark  and  cold.  This  diminution  of 
the  heat  of  the  sun  causes  the  diminution  of  the  days  which  are  shorter, 
and  increases  the  tempests  by  the  coldness  of  the  waters,  which  are 
more  stirred  up  by  the  winds,  and  because  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ad- 
vances much  into  the  sea  in  the  southern  region,  and  the  sun  being  at  a 
distance  from  the  line  in  the  northern  direction,  so  that  the  south  re- 
mains dark  and  cold ;  thereby  are  caused  the  great  storms  and  tempests, 
and  short  days  of  scanty  light,  which  the  ships  find,  because  the  sun  is 
removed  a  long  way  from  there :  and  when  the  sun  goes  to  the  southern 
part,  then  there  will  be  calms  and  warm  and  longer  days  in  the  sea  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  And  because  at  the  time  the  ships  are  making 
for  the  Cape,  or  are  near  it,  the  sun  is  removed  to  the  northern  region, 
for  this  cause  the  storms  and  darkness  of  the  short,  days  remain  about 
the  Cape.  On  that  account  the  Ptolemies  and  others  who  have  written 
named  it  the  Stormy  Cape,  because  it  is  deprived  of  the  shelter  of  lands, 
which  are  very  far  removed  from  it,  for  there  is  no  land  on  its  east  or 
west  side,  only  in  a  direct  line  the  nearest  land  is  the  coast  of  India  to 
Cape  Comorym,  and  on  this  other  side  by  the  saTne  line  the  Cape  Verde, 
which  is  a  very  great  distance;  and  with  the  navigation  which  the  ships 
now  make  to  double  the  Cape  to  windward  of  it,  giving  it  a  wide  berth 
to  allow  for  the  winds  being  from  seaward,  they  make  a  bend  by  which 
they  traverse  more  than  seven  thousand  leagues,  which  voyage  they 
could  much  shorten  and  improve  when  the  pilots  shall  have  learned  by 
experience  the  removal  of  the  sun  to  a  distance,  and  to  which  part  it 
goes,  for  the  removal  of  the  sun  is  the  cause  of  the  good  and  bad 
weather.  And,  Sire,  because  I  have  laboured  much  in  this,  in  order  to 
assure  myself  of  the  truth  of  it  I  have  made  an  experiment  as  to  the  de- 
clination of  the  sun  and  its  lengthening  its  distance  from  the  line  to 
either  side  of  north  or  south,  and- of  how  much  time  it  goes  to  one  ex- 
tremity, and  how  much  to  the  other,  and  how  far  it  proceeds,  and 
whether  it  runs  as  much  in  going  as  in  returning,  and  I  have  found  that 
it  journeys  over  all  with  a  regular  course  and  pace.     So  that  I  have  well 


ABRAHAM    ZACUT.  23 

and  for  this  he  should  take  whatever  time  he  chose  for 
giving  his  reply.     The  Jew  took  charge  of  the  commission 

ascertained,  and  laid  it  down  in  a  kind  of  formula,  how  much  the  sun 
removes  itself  each  day,  both  in  its  going  away  and  in  its  return ;  in 
such  wise  that  in  any  part  where  navigators  may  have  sighted  the  sun 
at  midday,  or  the  north  star  at  night,  and  make  their  reckoning  of  the 
sun's  declination,  they  may  know  what  distance  they  have  gone,  and 
will  know  how  to  navigate  all  the  seas  in  the  world.  If  it  please  the 
Lord  that  I  may  finish  ascertaining  some  doubts  which  are  still  obscure 
to  me,  I  affirm  to  your  Highness  that  this  navigation  to  India  will  then 
be  so  easy  that  very  small  vessels  will  be  able  to  sail  thither ;  and  so 
small  as  to  be  only  capable  of  containing  the  provisions  and  water  for 
the  people  that  go  in  them,  because  all  the  advantage  of  this  course  and 
navigation  will  consist  in  knowing  how  to  seize  upon  the  seasons  in 
their  proper  monsoons,  so  as  not  to  fall  in  with  storms  and  contrary 
winds,  which  cause  detention." 

The  king  having  heard  all  this  was  much  gratified,  and  promising  the 
Jew  many  rewards  for  his  labour,  strongly  recommended  him  to  com- 
plete so  good  a  work  as  he  had  begun.  This  the  Jew  undertook,  and 
as  he  had  tried  everything,  and  discovered  with  certainty  the  course  of 
the  sun  and  its  changes,  he  made  experiments  from  the  stars  with  his 
astronomical  arts,  and  made  rules  for  the  sun's  declination,  separating . 
the  years,  each  one  by  itself,  and  the  months  and  days,  from  one  bissex- 
tile year  to  anotlier,  which  are  exactly  four  years,  and  as  to  how  much 
the  sun  progresses  each  day,  reckoning  from  midday  to  midday,  both  in 
the  northern  and  in  the  southern  region,  all  this  with  much  arrange- 
ment and  good  order.  For  this  purpose  he  made  a  form  (pasta)  of 
copper  of  the  thickness  of  half  a  finger,  round,  with  a  ring  (argola),  in 
which  it  was  suspended  straight,  and  upon  it  lines  and  points,  and  in 
the  middle  another  plate  (chapa),  also  of  copper,  sliding  round  the  cir- 
cumference, and  in  it  were  placed  some  holes  bored  opposite  one  another, 
so  that  the  sun  entering  through  both  at  the  moment  of  midday,  it  was 
seen  in  what  part  was  the  sun ;  all  this  with  great  art  and  subtle 
method :  and  he  named  it  astrolabe,  for  taking  thus  the  exact  spot  in 
which  the  sun  was,  and  making  a  reckoning  in  the  table  of  each  year, 
it  was  known  how  many  leagues  had  been  gone.  This  the  Jew  taught 
to  some  pilots  whom  the  king  sent  to  him,  how  and  in  what  manner 
they  were  to  take  the  sun  at  the  moment  of  midday  with  the  astrolabe, 
and  teaching  them  the  reckoning  they  had  to  make  with  the  tables  of 
the  rules,  in  all  which  he  indoctrinated  them  much.  The  king  then 
sent  these  men  away  to  sail  to  a  certain  part,  and  the  Jew  gave  them 
large  charts  with  lines  (riscos)  of  different  coloui's  which  showed  the 
names  of  the  winds  all  round  the  north  star  ;  this  received  the  name  of 


24  THE    JEWISH    ASTRONOMER 

and  returned  to  Beja ;  and  on  his  setting  about  it,  the  Lord 
was  pleased  to  shew  him  his  will.  Having  well  ascertained 
all,  he  returned  to  the  king  with  much  satisfaction,  and  said 
to  him,  "  Sire,  with  the  great  care  which  I  have  taken  in  the 
matter  which  your  highness  so  much  enjoined  upon  me,  and 
with  the  good  pleasure  of  Our  Lord,  that  which  I  have  found 
out  and  learned  is  that  the  province  of  India  is  very  far  off 
from  this  our  region,  far  removed  by  wide  seas  and  lands, 

navigating  needle,  and  scale  of  the  degrees  to  the  southward  for  reckon- 
ing the  leagues  traversed  by  the  sun  in  its  course/  with  many  other 
arrangements  and  experiments  which  the  pilots  understood,  and  experi- 
mented with  in  the  currents  of  the  sea.  So  that  this  science  of  piloting 
became  continually  more  defined  and  ascertained,  and  as  they  sailed 
they  laid  down  the  lands  in  the  charts,  and  the  islands  in  their  proper 
limits  by  the  sun's  altitude,  by  reckoning  of  leagues,  and  courses  of  the 
winds  and  soundings  and  bearings,  which  continually  was  more  brought 
to  the  great  perfection  in  which  it  now  is :  God  be  for  ever  praised,  Who 
was  pleased  that  the  Jew  should  speak  with  such  certainty  of  all,  and  of 
the  small  vessels  navigating  this  voyage,  as  was  seen  later  to  be  the 
case,  and  as  will  be  found  further  on  in  some  parts  of  this  book.  The 
king  esteemed  this  as  being  as  great  a  service  as  it  is  seen  to  be,  and 
derived  from  it  such  great  satisfaction,  that  he  conferred  many  favours 
upon  the  Jew,  so  that  he  endeavoured  still  more,  taking  greater  pains 
to  make  another  greater  contrivance,  which  was  still  wanting  to  this 
work,  and  which  it  was  desirable  to  accomplish,  because  if  the  weather 
was  rainy,  and  the  sun  concealed,  in  order  to  take  an  observation  with 
the  astrolabe  when  ±hey  remained  blind  in  their  voyage,  he  arranged 
the  tables  of  the  sun's  course  with  the  circumferences  of  the  north  star, 
for  which  he  made  another  contrivance  for  taking  the  point  in  which 
the  north  star  was,  with  such  art  that  all  the  pilots  remained  very  per- 
fect in  their  knowledge  of  navigation  in  all  weathers :  thus  practising 
navigation  to  India  and  other  parts  they  continued  improving  by  the 
experience  they  had  of  these  things,  navigating  both  with  the  sun  and 
the  darkness  of  the  night.  All  which  was  for  the  great  increase  of  good, 
as  at  the  present  day  appears,  for  the  service  of  the  Lord  God  ;  because 
learned  men  of  subtle  understanding  went  on  attaining  and  ascertaining 
still  more,  so  that  now  it  is  quite  perfect.     This  was  all  begun  by  the 


»  This  passage  is  obscure :  the  text  of  it  is — "  a  que  se  pos  nome 
agulha  de  marear,  compasso  dos  graos  do  Sul  pera  a  conta  das  legoas  no 
discurso  do  andar  do  Sol." 


ABFAHAM    ZACUT.  25 

all  inhabited  by  dark  people,  in  which  there  are  great  riches 
and  merchandise,  which  go  forth  to  many  parts  of  the  world, 
and  there  is  much  risk  before  they  can  come  to  this  our 
region.  That  which  I  have  looked  at,  and  by  the  will  of 
Our  Lord  have  attained  to  is,  that  your  highness  will  dis- 
cover it,  and  will  subjugate  a  large  part  of  India  in  a  very 
short  time,  because.  Sire,  your  planet  is  great,  under  the 
sphere,  the  device  of  your  royal  person,  in  which  are 
contained  the  heavens  and  the  earth;  for  God  will  be  pleased 
to  bring  all  this  into  your  power ;  which  power  will  never 
end,  for  the  king  who  fears  God,  even  though  he  spent  his 
whole  kingdom  in  this ;  because  God  kept  this  enterprise 
reserved  for  your  Highness.  And  I  find  that  two  natural 
brothers  of  yours  will  discover  India,  but  who  they  may  be 
I  cannot  ascertain.  But  since  it  is  thus  ordained  of  God, 
He  will  show  all  the  truth  of  what  I  have  said  to  your  High- 
ness :  upon  which  I  stake  my  head  in  pledge,  under  the 
pleasure  of  our  Lord,  in  whose  power  everything  is."  All 
which  having  been  heard  by  the  king,  he  gave  great  thanks 
to  the  Jew  for  such  good  news  as  he  had  given  him,  and  he 
enjoined  him  strictly  to  maintain  great  secrecy  about  this 
for  the  great  importance  of  it  to  his  State. 

said  Jew,  named  Zacuto,  a  great  astrologer,  who  afterwards  fled  from 
Portugal  to  Gulf 0,1  where  many  others  betook  themselves ;  and  there 
he  died  in  the  error  in  which  the  enemy  blinded  him,  having  acquired 
such  knowledge  of  the  stars,  and  remaining  blind  in  such  a  bright  day 
as  is  our  holy  Catholic  faith  ;  and  as  this  affair  happened  in  this  year  of 
1502,  I  have  put  it  here  for  his  memory,  for  I  have  written  this  in  this 
year  of  15G1.     God  be  for  ever  praised. 


"  Juljo^  Ajuda  MS. 


2<)  I'KEPARATION    OF    SHIPS 


CHAPTER  IV. 

How  the  King  commanded  the  ships  which  had  been  begun  to  be 
finished,  and  how  they  were  provided  with  the  things  which  they 
had  to  take  for  their  voyage. 

The  king,  in  his  great  satisfaction  at  what  the  Jew  had 
told  him,  gave  great  praise  to  our  Lord  for  having  granted 
him  the  so  great  favour  of  so  important  an  affair  as  the  dis- 
covery of  the  navigation  to  India  in  the  commencement  of 
his  reign:  the  which  had  not  been  granted  to  any  other  king 
of  Christendom,  and  during  so  long  a  time  had  been  re- 
served for  him  :  and  with  great  trust  in  our  Lord,  he  fol- 
lowed his  chief  inclination  and  desire,  which  was  all  for  His 
holy  service.  He  immediately  gave  orders  for  the  finishing 
of  the  three  ships  which  were  begun,^  and  that  they  should 
be  made  the  strongest  built  that  was  possible.  So  much 
diligence  was  employed  in  this,  that  in  a  short  time  they 
were  completed  and  launched  in  the  sea,  and  equipped  with 
everything.  The  king  ordered  the  sailors  who  had  gone 
with  Janifante,  who  were  good  workmen,  to  serve  in  this 
labour  of  the  caravels,  and  to  supply  the  ships  with  double 
tackle  and  sets  of  sails,  and  artillery  and  munitions  in  great 
abundance  :  above  all,  provisions  with  which  the  ships  were 
to  be  filled,  with  many  preserves,  and  perfumed  waters,  and 
in  each  ship,  all  the  articles  of  an  apothecary's  shop  for  the 
sick,  a  master,  and  a  priest  for  confession.     The  king  also 

'  Castanheda  says  he  ordered  two  ships  to  be  built  of  the  wood  which 
1).  Joam  had  ordered  to  be  cut;  one,  the  S.  Gabriel  of  120  tons,  the 
other,  the  S.  Rafael  of  100,  and  he  bought  a  carvel  of  50  tons  to  go  with 
these  ships  from  a  pilot  named  Birrio,  from  whom  the  carvel  took  its 
name.  Correa  says  further  on  that  the  three  ships  were  built  of  the 
same  size  and  pattern,  in  order  that  each  shi])  might  avail  itself  of  any 
part  of  the  tackle  and  fittings. 


FOR    THE    VOYAGE    TC    INDIA.  27 

ordered  all  sorts  of  merchandise,  of  what  was  in  the  king- 
dom and  from  outside  of  it,  and  much  gold  and  silver  coined 
in  the  money  of  all  Christendom  and  of  the  Moors ;  and 
cloths  of  gold  and  silk,  and  wool,  of  all  kinds  and  colours ; 
and  many  jewels  of  gold,  necklaces,  chains,  and  bracelets, 
and  ewers  of  silver  and  silver-gilt,  yataghans  (gomia),  swords, 
daggers,  smooth  and  engraved,  and  adorned  with  gold  and 
silver  workmanship ;  spears  and  shields,  all  adorned  so  as 
to  be  fit  for  presentation  to  the  kings  and  rulers  of  the 
countries  where  they  might  put  into  port ;  and  a  little  of 
each  kind  of  spice.  The  king  also  commanded  slaves  to  be 
bought  who  knew  all  the  languages  which  might  be  fallen  in 
with;  and  all  the  supplies  which  seemed  to  be  requisite  were 
])rovided  in  great  abundance  and  in  double  quantities. 


CHAPTER  y. 


How  the  King  gave  the  captaincy  of  three  ships  to  Vasco  da  Gama,  a 
nobleman  of  his  house,  and  charged  him  to  go  and  discover  India. 

Whilst  these  things  were  being  thus  prepared,  the  king 
was  full  of  care  both  day  and  night,  as  to  whom  he  should 
entrust  this  so  great  enterprise  ;  he  was  always  praying  the 
Lord,  that  if  this  affair  was  to  be  for  His  holy  service.  He 
would  be  pleased  to  show  him  the  men  whom  it  would  please 
Him  to  send  upon  this  voyage,  with  respect  to  which  the 
king  was  occupied  in  constant  thought.  The  grandees  of 
the  kingdom,  seeing  the  preparations  which  the  king  was 
making  for  this  fleet  which  he  was  going  to  send  for  the 
discovery,  spoke  to  him  about  a  few  men  who  appeared  to 
be  fitting  for  this,  but  the  king  answered  them,  that  he  had 
them  already  decided  upon.  Many  days  passed  thus,  and  one 
day  the  king  sitting  in  his  hall  of  business  at  a  table  with 
his  officers,  giving  orders,  by  chanco  the  king  raised  his 


28  DON    MANUEL    SELECTS 

eyes/  and  Vasco  da  Gama  happened  to  cross  through  the 
hall :  he  was  a  gentleman  of  the  household,  and  of  noble 
lineage,  son  of  Estevan  da  Gama,  who  had  been  comptroller 
of  the  household  of  the  King  Dom  Alfonso,  for  in  that  time 
they  took  honour  more  from  nobility  of  blood  than  from 
titles  of  Dom,  which  were  not  then  customary  amongst 
those  who  were  noble  by  direct  lineage.  This  Vasco  da 
Gama  was  a  discreet  man,  of  good  understanding,  and  of 
great  courage  for  any  good  deed.     The  king  setting  eyes 

'  Barros  says  that  the  ting,  being  in  Estremoz,  named  Vasco  da 
Gama  as  captain  major  of  the  fleet,  both  for  the  confidence  he-  placed  in 
him,  and  from  Vasco  da  Gama  having  a  claim  to  this  voyage ;  for, 
according  as  it  was  said,  Estevan  da  Gama,  his  father,  now  deceased, 
had  been  decided  upon  for  making  this  voyage  during  the  life  of  the 
King  Dom  Joam.  Camoens  gives  an  account  which  agrees  with  that 
of  Gaspar  Correa,  and  he  makes  Vasco  da  Gama  say — Canto  iv,  77 — 

Eu  que  bem  mal  cuidava,  que  em  effeito 
Se  puzesse,  o  que  o  peito  me  pedia. 
Que  sempre  grandes  cousas  deste  geito, 
Presago  o  coracjao  me  prometia : 
Nao  sei  porque  razao,  porque  respeito, 
Ou  porque  bom  sinal,  que  em  mi  se  via, 
Me  poem  o  inclito  Rey  nas  maos  a  chave 
Ueste  cometimento  grande,  &  grave. 

78. 
E  com  rogo,  &  palavras  amorosas, 
Que  he  hum  mando  nos  Reys,  que  h  mais  obriga. 
Me  disse  :  As  cousas  arduas  &  lustrosas, 
Se  alcan^ao  com  trabalho,  &  com  fadiga : 
Faz  as  pessoaa  altas,  &  famosas, 
A  vida,  que  se  perde,  &  que  periga. 
Que  quando  ao  medo  infame  nao  se  rende 
Entao,  se  menos  dura,  mais  se  estende 

79. 
Eu  V08  tenho  entre  todos  escolhido 
Para  huma  empresa,  qual  k  v6s  se  deve ; 
Trabalho  illustre,  duro,  &  esclarecido, 
O  que  eu  sei  que  por  mi  vos  serk  leve : 
Nao  Bofri  mais,  mas  logo,  d  Rey  subido 
Aventurarme  a  ferro,  a  fogo,  a  neve, 
lie  tao  ponco  por  vos,  que  mais  me  peua 
Ser  esta  vida  cousa  tao  pe([uena. 


VASCO    DA    (3AMA    TO    COMMAND    THE    FLEET.  29 

upon  him,  his  heart  was  transported,  and  he  called  him,  and 
he  kneeled  before  the  king,  who  said  to  him  :  "1  should  re- 
joice if  you  would  undertake  a  service  which  I  require  of 
you  in  which  you  must  labour  much."  He  kissed  his  hand, 
saying :  "  Sire,  I  am  a  servant  for  any  labour  that  may  be, 

81. 
Com  merces  sumptuosas  me  agradece, 
E  com  razoes  me  louva  esta  vontade ; 
Que  a  virtude  louvada  vive  e  crece, 
E  o  louvor  a  altos  casos  persuade. 
A  acompanharme  logo  se  offerece, 
Obrigado  de  amor,  e  de  amizade, 
Nao  menos  cobi^oso  de  lionra,  e  fama, 

0  caro  meu  irmao,  Paulo  da  Gama. 

Canto  IV,  77. 
I — whose  foreboding  heart  would  still  project 
Great  things  like  this,  as  if  for  me  design'd. 
But  who  had  scarcely  hoped  to  give  effect 
To  such  ambitious  longings  of  my  mind, — 

1  know  not  for  what  reason,  what  respect, 
Or  what  good  omen  in  my  star  divined, 
The  king  entrusted  to  my  hands  the  key 
Of  this  reluctant  stubborn  mystery. 

78. 
And  with  intreaties,  and  with  sugard  praise 
(Which  are  the  pow'rfullest  commands  of  kings) 
He  sayd  to  me — "Through  deep  and  rugged  ways, 
Vertue  attains  the  best  and  noblest  things, 
A  life  well  lost,  or  hazarded,  to  bays 
Of  everlasting  Honour  persons  brings  : 

For  (if  to  sordid  feare  it  never  bends) 

The  shorter  'tis,  the  farther  it  extends. 
79. 
You  have  I  chose  (and  all  the  rest  set  by) 
To  a  taske  fit  for  you  to  undergoe : 
A  taske  heroick,  difficult  and  high, 
Which  (for  my  sake)  you  will  think  light,  I  know. 
I  could  not  suffer  more  :  but  thus  reply,  [snow, 

O  my  dread  leige  !    through  swords,  through  fire,  through 

For  thee  to  venture,  only  is  annoy 

When  I  consider  life  is  such  a  toy. 


30  APPOINTMENT    OF 

since  my  service  is  required,  which  I  will  perform  so  long 
as  my  life  lasts."  At  which  the  king  rose  up,  and  went  to 
sit  at  a  table  which  was  set  out  in  the  hall  for  dinner,  and 
whilst  there  he  said  to  Vasco  da  Gama  that  it  was  his 
will  that  he  should  go  in  those  ships  where  he  would  send 
him,  that  it  was  an  affair  upon  which  he  was  much  bent,  and 
on  that  account  that  he  should  make  ready.  To  this,  Vasco 
da  Gama  replied  that  his  soul  was  in  readiness,  and  that 
there  was  nothing  to  detain  him  from  embarking  at  once. 
When  the  king  had  finished  dining  he  withdrew  to  his 
chamber,  and  asked  of  Vasco  da  Gama  if  he  had  any  brother. 
He  answerd  that  he  had  three,  one  a  lad,  another  who  was 
studying  to  be  a  priest,  and  another  older,  and  that  all  were 
men  very  ready  to  serve  in  anything  that  was  committed  to 
them.  The  king  said  to  him  :  "  Call  him  to  go  with  you  in 
one  of  the  two  ships,  and  do  you  choose  the  one  you  Hke 
best,  in  which  you  shall  carry  my  standard;  for  you  shall  be 
the  captain-major  of  the  others. ''  Vasco  da  Gama  kissed 
his  hand,  and  said  :  "  Sire,  it  would  not  be  in  reason  that  I 
should  carry  the  standard,  because  my  brother  is  older  than 
I,  but  he  shall  carry  it,  and  I  will  go  under  his  command, 
which  is  right,  and  your  Highness  should  have  it  so  for  your 

81. 
With  sxunptuous  boons ;  and  words,  that  those  exceed  ; 
My  good  will  he  doth  praise,  and  gratifie  : 
For  vertue,  spurr'd  with  praise,  doubles  her  speed ; 
And  is  inflaai'd  to  enterprises  high. 
To  second  me  in  this  exployt,  agreed 
(Oblig'd  by  nature's  and  by  friendship's  tye 
Thirsty  alike  of  Honour,  and  of  fame) 
My  dear  and  loving  brother  Paul  de  Game. 

Fanshaw, 
Castanheda  says  that  the  king  offered  the  command  to  Paulo  da  Gama, 
son  of  Estevan  da  Gama,  chief  alcayde  of  Sinis :  he  excused  himself  on 
the  ground  of  ill-health,  from  being  unable  to  endure  the  fatigues  of  the 
cliicf  command,  and  begged  the  king  to  give  that  charge  to  his  brother 
Vasco,  wiio  was  experienced  in  seafaring,  halving  done  much  service  for 
Dom  Joam. 


OTHER    OFFICERS.  31 

service.^'  At  which  answer  the  king  shewed  his  pleasure^ 
and  said  :  ''  That  he  greatly  rejoiced  at  the  good  knowledge 
which  he  had  of  obedience,  and  that  for  this  God  would 
grant  him  a  great  reward,  and  that  he  expected  good  ser- 
vice from  one  who  had  such  good  knowledge  of  what  obe- 
dience was,  which  is  a  great  virtue:  and  in  that  matter  that 
he  should  dispose  of  it  as  he  pleased  /'  but  his  heart  found 
rest  in  him,  and  on  that  account  committed  everything  to 
him  in  the  carrying  out  of  this  voyage ;  "  for  my  heart  tells 
me  that  my  desire  will  be  accomplished  by  you  :  therefore 
dispose  yourself  as  you  think  fit ;  for  to  you  alone,  I  give 
the  command  and  the  whole  charge ;  and  do  you  look  out 
for  a  captain  for  the  other  ship,  a  man  according  to  your  will 
and  pleasure."  For  which  Vasco  da  Gama  kissed  the  king's 
hand,  and  said  to  him  :  "  Sire,  my  elder  brother,  whom  I 
mentioned  to  your  Highness,  is  named  Paulo  da  Gama,  and 
he  is  now  absent  on  account  of  a  wound  which  was  given  to 
the  judge  of  Setubal,  for  which  he  is  blamed  :  and  without 
a  pardon  from  your  Highness  he  will  not  be  able  to  come." 
The  king  said  to  him  :  "  For  love  of  you  I  pardon  him  my 
justice,  for  the  services  which  I  expect  from  you  and  him, 
he  satisfying  the  parties  now  that  he  has  his  pardon ;  and 
let  him  come  at  once  without  making  any  delay;  and  mean- 
while do  you  attend  to  the  preparations  and  equipment  of 
the  ships,  and  take  the  sailors  who  best  please  you,  and  so 
of  all  other  things,  because,  if  it  please  God,  you  will  discover 
India :  and  I  pray  our  Lord,  that  He  may  so  permit  it  for 
His  holy  service,  and  I  recommend  you  to  Him,  and  your 
labours  shall  be  well  rewarded  by  me."  For  which  Vasco 
da  Gama  kissed  his  hand. 


32  VASCO    DA    GAMA^S    PRKPARATIONR, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

How  Vasco  da  Gama  provided  the  ships  in  great  abundance  with  the 
things  that  were  necessary  for  his  voyage. 

Vasco  DA  Gama  wrote  at  once  to  his  brother  all  that  had 
happened,  so  that  he  should  endeavour  to  arrange  matters 
with  the  judge  and  obtain  his  pardon,  since  he  had  got  that 
of  the  king,  and  then  come  to  kiss  the  king's  hand,  as  was 
highly  fitting.  This  Paulo  da  Gama  did  with  much  diligence; 
and  he  obtained  the  forgiveness  and  became  friends  with  the 
judge,  from  whom  he  obtained  a  document,  with  which  he 
came  to  the  king,  and  kissed  his  hand  and  said  :  "  Sire,  I 
owe  much  to  God  for  granting  me  the  great  favour  that  your 
Highness  should  choose  to  make  use  of  me  in  a  business  so 
important  for  your  service."  The  king  replied  :  "  I  selected 
your  brother;  and  he  (selected)  you  to  be  assisted  by  you  in 
his  labour  in  this  enterprise,  which  God  inclined  me  to  com- 
mit to  him ;  for  which  my  heart  greatly  trusts  that  he  will 
give  satisfaction  to  my  desire,  on  which  account  I  commit 
to  him  the  whole  charge  and  authority.  He,  like  a  good 
brother,  knowing  the  obedience  which  he  owes  to  you  from 
your  being  his  elder,  would  wish  to  go  under  your  command, 
by  which  he  shewed  obedience  to  God,  for  which  I  hope 
that  our  Lord  will  reward  you  both :  and  I  confide  in  both 
of  you,  that  you  are  men  such  as  will  do  me  such  good  ser- 
vice as  will  oblige  me  to  give  you  great  recompenses.  But 
as  I  have  set  my  will  upon  your  brother  to  give  him  the 
charge  of  this  voyage,  you  may  arrange  amongst  each  other 
as  you  please  with  respect  to  the  honour  of  the  standard,  for  I 
shall  be  pleased  any  way."  For  this  the  two  kissed  the 
king's  hand,  with  many  compliments  for  the  satisfaction  and 
giving  pleasure   to  the  king;  and  they  presented  to  him 


PREPARATIONS    OF    VASCO    DA    GAMA,  33 

as  captain  of  the  other  ship,  a  great  friend  of  theirs  named 
Nicolas  Coelho,  Vasco  da  Gama  saying :  "  Sire,  this  man  is 
nothing  less  than  a  brother  in  the  friendship  which  we  bear 
him ;  he  shall  be  our  partner  if  your  Highness  approve  of 
his  going  in  the  other  ship."  The  king  said  :  "  I  am  con- 
tent since  you  are  so";  for  which  they  all  kissed  his  hand.^ 
The  king  commanded  Vasco  da  Gama  to  make  ready  to  set 
out  presently,  and  to  ascertain  all  that  he  required  to  take 
with  him,  and  whatever  more  he  wanted  to  ask  for  it  from 
his  officers,  to  whom  he  had  given  orders  to  give  him  what-' 
ever  and  as  much  as  he  asked  for ;  and  he  was  to  choose 
masters  and  pilots  at  his  pleasure,  because  thenceforward 
there  would  not  be  navigation  by  latitude  nor  charts ;  only 
the  needle  to  know  the  points  of  the  compass,  and  the 
sounding  plummets  for  running  down  the  coast ;  and  know- 
ledge of  the  lands  and  a  good  estimation  by  means  of  the 
good  judgment  which  God  gave  him.  Vasco  da  Gama  was 
of  a  very  indefatigable  disposition,  and  very  skilful  in  all 
things,  and  he  equipped  the  ships  which  were  named  SaTn 
Miguel,  Sam  Gabriel,  and  8a7n  Rafael ;  for  when  the  King 

^  Camoens,  Canto  iv,  82 — 

Mais  se  me  ajunta  Nicolao  Coelho, 
De  trabalhos  mui  grande  sofredor ; 
Ambos  sao  de  valia,  e  de  conselho, 
De  experiencia  em  armas,  e  furor. 
Ja  de  manceba  gente  me  aparelho, 
Em  quem  crece  o  desejo  de  valor, 
Todos  de  grande  esfor^o,  e  assi  parece, 
Quem  a  tamanhas  cousas  se  offereoe. 

Nich'las  Coellio  makes  a  third  :  for  paina 
Most  indefatigable.     And  these  are 
My  two  supporters  strong  of  hand,  and  brains : 
Experienc't  both,  both  no  less  bold  in  warr. 
I  get  me  a  young  crew  of  sturdy  swains. 
Whose  budding  valour  itcht  for  martial  jarr : 
All  metled  lads ;  and  so,  it  well  appeers. 
That  came  to  such  a  business  volunteers. 

Fanshaw. 


34  PREPARATIONS   OF   GAMA. 

Dom  Joan  fitted  them  out,  he  gave  them  those  names. 
Vasco  da  Gama  spoke  to  the  sailors  who  were  told  off  for 
the  voyage,  and  strongly  recommended  them,  until  the  time 
of  their  departure,  to  endeavour  to  learn  to  be  carpenters, 
rope-makers,  caulkers,  blacksmiths,  and  plank-makers ;  and 
for  this  purpose  he  gave  them  an  increase  of  two  cruzados 
a  month  beyond  the  sailors'  pay  which  they  had,  which  was 
of  five  cruzados  a  month;  so  that  all  rejoiced  at  learnino-,  so 
as  to  draw  more  pay.  And  Vasco  da  Gama  bought  for  them 
all  the  tools  which  befitted  their  crafts. 

Thus^  the  ships  were  supplied  with  the  full  complement  of 
what  was  requisite.  Vasco  da  Gama  gave  an  account  to 
the  king  of  all  that  he  did,  and  always  talked  to  him  of  the 
things  which  he  desired ;  and  the  king  told  him  to  do  what 
his  heart  prompted  him  with  respect  to  those  ships  and 
whatever  they  bore  in  them,  and  that  in  the  countries  at 
which  he  touched,  he  should  take  great  precautions  for 
taking  care  of  his  health  and  life  upon  which  depended  all 
that  had  been  done,  and  that  remained  to  be  accomplished ; 
and,  according  as  he  saw  fit,  he  was  to  make  peace  or  war, 
and  to  make  of  himself  a  merchant  or  a  warrior,  or  one  cast 
away,  or  who  had  lost  his  way,  and  he  was  to  make  himself 
an  ambassador,  and  of  his  own  part  he  might  send  embas- 
sages to  kings  and  rulers,  and  give  letters  under  his  signa- 
ture, and  do  as  he  thought  fit ;  and  all  that  he  said  to  hira 
thus  was  nought,  because  it  seemed  to  the  king  in  his  heart 
that  Vasco  da  Gama  would  know  much  the  best  what  to  do; 
for  each  time  his  heart  received  greater  satisfaction  from  him. 

'  This  paragraph  and  the  greater  part  of  the  next  chapter  down  to 
the  bracket  is  missing  from  the  printed  edition  of  Correa ;  the  absence 
of  this  portion  does  not  appear  to  have  been  observed,  for  the  printed 
text  runs  thus,  without  a  break  in  the  paragraph :— "  E  Vasco  da  Gama 
Ihe  comprou  todas  sus  ferramentas  doque  compria  a  sens  officios.  Aos 
casados  mandou  El  Rey  pagar  a  cada  hum  cera  cruzados  pera  deixarem 
a  suas  molhcres,"  etc. 


DEPARTURE    OF    GAMA.  35 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ITow  the  King  committed  the  Royal  Standard  to  Vasco  da  Gama  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Lisbon,'  and  despatched  him,  and  he  departed  to  the 
discovery  of  India. 

The  ships  being  equipped  and  ready^  as  I  have  said,  one 
Sunday  the  king  went  with  the  Queen  Dona  Maria  to  hear 
Mass,  which  was  said  pontifically  by  the  Bishop  Cal9adilha, 
who  also  made  a  discourse  in  praise  of  the  voyage,  and  holy 
design  of  the  king  in  regard  to  the  new  discovery  which  he 
was  commanding  to  be  made ;  and  he  called  upon  the  peo- 
ple to  pray  to  the  Lord  that  the  voyage  might  be  for  his 
holy  service,  and  for  the  exalting  of  his  holy  faith,  and  for 
the  increase  of  the  good  and  honour  of  the  kingdom  of  Por- 
tugal. When  the  Mass  was  ended,  at  which  the  good  brothers 
and  their  associate  were  present,  richly  dressed,  and  to  whom 
the  king  shewed  great  honour  and  favour,  as  they  stood  close 
to  the  curtain,  where  also  were  the  principal  lords  of  the  realm 
and  gentlemen  of  the  court,  the  king  came  out  from  the  cur- 
tain, and  spoke  to  the  captains  who  placed  themselves  on 
their  knees  before  him,  and  they  spoke  to  him,  saying:  "  Sire, 
the  honour  we  are  receiving  from  your  Highness  is  so  great, 
that  with  a  hundred  bodies  and  lives  which  we  might  expend 
in  your  service  we  never  could  repay  the  least  part  of  it, 
since  greater  honours  were  never  shewn  by  a  sovereign  to 
his  vassals,  than  you  have  done  us,  as  the  great  prince, 
king,  and  lord  that  you  are,  with  such  magnanimity  and 
honour  that,  if  at  this  very  moment  we  should  die,  our  line- 
age would  remain  in  the  highest  degree  of  honour  which  is 
possible,  only  because  your  Highness  has  chosen  and  sent 

'  Castanheda  says  the  King  despatched  Gama  and  his  captains  from 
Montemor  o  novo,  from  which  they  went  to  Lisbon.  Barros  says  the 
king  was  at  Montemor  when  he  appointed  Gama. 


36  DEPARTURE    OP 

US  for  this  work,  whilst  you  have  so  many  and  such  noble 
vassals  to  whom  to  commit  it :  for  which  we  are  already  re- 
compensed before  rendering  this  service,  and  until  we  end 
our  Hves  in  performing  it.  For  this  we  beg  of  the  mercy  of 
the  Lord,  that  He  direct  us,  and  that  we  may  perform  such 
works  that  He,  the  Lord,  and  your  Highness  also,  may  be 
served  in  some  measure  in  this  so  great  favour  that  has  been 
shown  us,  as  He  knows  that  such  is  our  desire ;  and  should 
we  not  be  deserving  to  serve  Him  in  this  voyage,  and  so 
holy  undertaking,  may  the  Lord  be  pleased  that  we  may  pay 
with  our  lives  for  our  shortcomings  in  the  work.  We  pro- 
mise your  Highness  that  our  lives  will  be  the  matters  of 
least  moment  that  we  shall  adventure  in  this  so  great  favour 
that  has  been  shewn  us,  aild  that  we  will  not  return  before 
your  Highness  with  our  lives  in  our  bodies,  without  bringing 
some  certain  information  of  that  which  your  Highness  de- 
sires." And  they  all  again  kissed  the  hands  of  the  king  and 
of  the  queen :  upon  which  the  king  came  forth  from  the 
cathedral  and  went  to  his  palace  which  then  was  in  the  re- 
sidence of  the  alcasbah  in  the  castle.  There  went  before 
him  the  captains,  and  before  them  the  standard  which  was 
carried  by  their  ensign  in  whom  they  trusted,  and  on  arriving 
at  the  palace  the  king  dismissed  them,  and  they  again  kissed 
his  and  the  queen's  hand.  Vasco  da  Gama  on  a  horse,  with 
all  the  men  of  the  fleet  on  foot,  richly  dressed  in  liveries,  and 
accompanied  by  all  the  gentlemen  of  the  court,  went  down 
to  the  wharf  on  the  bank,  and  embarked  in  their  boats,  and 
the  standard  went  in  that  of  Paulo  da  Gama,  Then,  taking 
leave  of  the  gentlemen,  they  went  to  the  ships^  and  on  their 
arrival  they  fired  all  their  artillery,  and  the  ships  were  dressed 
out  gaily  with  standards  and  flags,  and  many  ornaments, 
and  the  royal  standard  was  at  once  placed  at  the  top  of  the 
mast  of  Paulo  da  Gama;  for  so  Vasco  da  Gama  commanded, 
and  discharging  all  their  artillery,  they  loosened  the  sails, 
and  went  beating  to  windward  on  the  river  of  Lisbon,  tacking 


VASCO    DA    QAMA.  37 

until  they  came  to  anchor  at  Belem,  where  they  remained 
three  days  waiting  for  a  wind  to  go  out.  There  they  made 
a  muster  of  the  crews,  and  the  king  was  there  all  the  time 
in  the  monastery,  where  all  confessed  and  communicated. 
The  king  commanded  that  they  should  write  down  in  a  book 
all  the  men  of  each  ship  by  name,  with  the  names  of  their 
fathers,  mothers,  and  the  wives  of  the  married  men,  and  the 
places  of  which  they  were  native;  and  the  king  ordered  that 
this  book  should  be  preserved  in  the  House  of  the  Mines,  in 
order  that  the  payments  which  were  due  should  be  made 
upon  their  return,  because]  ^  the  king  ordered  that  a  hun- 
dred cruzados  should  be  paid  to  each  of  the  married  men 
for  them  to  leave  it  to  their  wives,  and  forty  cruzados  to 
each  of  the  single  men,  for  them  to  fit  themselves  out  with 
certain  things;  for,  as  to  provisions,  they  had  not  got  to  lay 
them  in,  for  the  ships  were  full  of  them  :  and  to  the  two 
brothers  a  gratification  of  two  thousand  cruzados  to  each  of 
them,  and  a  thousand  to  Nicolas  Coelho. 

When  it  was  the  day  of  our  Lady  of  March^  (the  25th),  all 
heard  Mass;  then  they  embarked,  and  loosed  the  sails,  and 
went  forth  from  the  river,  the  king  coming  out  to  accompany 

>  End  of  leaf  lost  from  the  Lisbon  MS. 

^  Barros  says  that  the  day  before  his  departure,  Gama  and  the  other  cap- 
tains held  vigils  in  the  house  of  our  Lady  of  Belem,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  of  our  Lady,  which  was  Saturday,  July  8,  1497,  many  people 
flocked  there  to  take  leave  of  the  fleet :  and  the  priests  and  friars 
ordered  a  procession  when  Vasco  da  Gama  was  going  to  embark :  he  and 
his  went  with  tapers  in  their  hands,  and  the  people  of  the  city  followed 
uttering  the  responses  to  a  Litany,  until  they  reached  the  boats.  There, 
all  kneeling,  the  vicar  of  the  monastery  made  aloud  a  general  confession, 
and  at  the  end  absolved  them  in  the  form  of  the  Bulls,  which  Prince 
Henrique  had  obtained  for  those  who  might  perish  in  this  discovery  or 
conquest.  On  that  day  so  many  tears  were  shed,  that  that  shore 
may  well  be  named  the  shore  of  tears ;  for  it  may  be  called  the  shore 
of  tears  for  those  that  go,  and  the  shore  of  pleasure  for  those  that 
return.  And  when  the  sails  were  cast  loose,  all  the  crowd  of  spectators 
redoubled  their  tears,  and  commended  them  to  God,  and  made  prognos- 
tications, according  as  each  one  felt  with  respect  to  that  departure. 


38  DEPAETUEE    OF    QAMA. 

them  in  his  boat,  and  addressing  them  all  with  blessings  and 
good  wishes,  he  took  leave  of  them,  his  boat  lying  on  its  oars 
until  they  disappeared,  as  it  is  shown  in  the  painting  of  this 
city  of  Lisbon.  Vasco  da  Gama  went  in  the  ship  Sam  Rafael, 
and  Paulo  da  Gama  in  the  Sam  Gabriel,  and  Nicolas  Coelho 
in  the  other  ship  Sa^n  Miguel  -A  in  each  ship  there  were  as 
many  as  eighty  men,  officers  and  seamen  and  the  others  of 
his  family,  servants  and  relations,  all  filled  with  the  desire 
to  undertake  the  labour  that  was  fitting  for  each,  and  with 
great  trust  in  the  favours  which  they  hoped  for  from  the  king 
on  their  return  to  Portugal. 

Paulo  da  Gama,  as  he  went  out  of  the  Lisbon  river,  hauled 
down  the  royal  standard  from  the  masthead,  and  at  the  great 
supplications  of  his  brother,  who  gave  him  good  reasons 
why  it  was  fitting  that  he  should  carry  it,  he  again  hoisted 
it.3 

^  Barros  says  Vasco  da  Gama  went  in  the  S.  Gabriel,  with  Peter 
d'Alanquer  as  pilot,  who  had  been  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
Diogo  Dias,  brother  of  Bartholomew  Dias,  as  clerk.  Paulo  da  Gama 
was  captain  of  the  S.  Rafael;  pilot,  Joam  de  Coimbra;  and  clerk, 
Joam  de  S^.  The  third  ship,  named  Berrio,  Captain  Nicolas  Coelho  ; 
pilot,  Peter  Eacolar  ;  and  clerk,  Alvaro  de  Braga.  He  says  these  three 
ships  were  little  more  or  less  than  a  hundred  or  a  hundred  and  twenty 
tons  each,  and  their  crews,  between  sailors  and  fighting  men,  in  all  a 
hundred  and  seventy  men.  He  mentions  another  "  ship,  whose  captain 
was  one  Gonzalo  Nunes,  a  servant  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  which  went  only 
manned  so  that  after  the  stores  of  the  ships  had  begun  to  be  expended 
they  might  take  the  superabundant  provisions  which  this  ship  carried, 
and  its  crew  would  go  over  to  the  other  ships."  These  four  sail  set  out 
with  Bartholomew  Dias  in  company  in  a  ship  which  was  going  to 
Mina  on  the  Guinea  coast.  Castanheda  gives  a  similar  account,  but 
says  the  crews  amounted  to  a  hundred  and  forty-eight  men,  and  that 
the  store-ship,  which  had  been  bought  from  Ayres  Correa,  was  of  two 
hundred  tons. 

2  Osorius  says  of  the  departure  of  Gama : — "  Next  day  a  great  multi- 
tude came  together,  not  only  for  his  sake,  but  also  on  account  of  the 
others  who  were  his  companions,  and  led  them  down  to  the  boats.  Not 
the  priests  and  monks  alone,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  concourse  prayed 
aloud  to  God  with  tears  that  this  perilous  navigation  might  turn  out 
well  for  all  of  them,  and  that  all  having  well  performed  the  undertaking 


FOREBODINGS  OF  THE  POPULACE.  39 

might  return  safely.  This  weeping  and  lamentation  was  made  by  so 
many  that  it  seemed  that  funeral  rites  were  being  performed.  For 
some  spoke  thus  :  '  See  whither  covetousness  and  ambition  are  carrying 
away  these  wretched  men !  Could  a  more  severe  punishment  be  found 
for  these  men,  even  had  they  confessed  the  most  horrible  crime  ?  For 
they  have  to  cross  over  the  immense  width  of  the  ocean,  and  to  overcome 
with  most  perilous  hardships  the  enormous  waves,  and  in  innumerable 
places  meet  with  risk  to  their  lives.  Would  it  not  have  been  far  more 
tolerable  to  be  carried  off  by  any  kind  of  death  on  shore,  rather  than  to 
be  buried  in  the  sea  waves  so  far  from  home  ?'  Such,  and  many  like 
discourses  they  held,  since  fear  compelled  them  to  imagine  everything 
sadder  than  it  was."     Osorio  says  Gama  sailed  on  the  9th  July. 

Camoens  has  put  these  forebodings  of  the  populace  into  the  mouth 
of  an  old  man,  Canto  iv,  87 — 

Partimonos  assi  do  santo  templb. 
Que  nas  prayas  do  mar  esta  sentado. 
Que  o  nome  tern  da  terra,  para  exemplo, 
Onde  Deos  foi  em  carne  ao  mundo  dado  : 
Certificote,  6  Rey,  que  se  contemplo, 
Como  fui  destas  prayas  apartado, 
Cheio  dentro  de  duvida,  e  receio, 
Que  a  penas  nos  mens  olhos  ponho  o  freio. 

88. 
A  gente  da  cidade  aquelle  dia, 
Huns  por  amigos,  outros  por  parentes, 
Outros  por  ver  somente,  concorria, 
Saudosos  na  vista,  e  descontentes ; 
E  nos  CO  a  virtuosa  companhia 
De  mil  Religiosos  diligentes, 
Em  procissao  solemne  a  Deos  orando, 
•Para  os  bateis  viemos  caminhando. 

89. 
Era  tao  longo  caminbo,  e  duvidoso, 
Por  perdidos  as  gentes  nos  julgavam  ; 
As  mulheres  com  choro  piedoso, 
Os  homens  com  suspiros  que  arrancavam  : 
Mays,  esposas,  irmijas,  que  o  temeroso 
Amor  mais  desconfia,  acrescentavam 
A  desesperacjao,  e  frio  medo 
De  ja  nos  nao  tornar  a  ver  t.lo  cedo. 

90. 
Ciual  vai  dizendo  :  O  fillio,  a  quem  eu  tuiha 
So  para  refrigerio,  e  doce  amparo 
Desta  cansada  ja  velhice  minha, 
Que  em  choro  acabara  pcnoso,  e  amaro  ; 


X 

40  FOREBODINGS    OF 

Porque  me  deixas  misera,  e  mesquinha  ? 
Porque  de  mim  te  vfe,  6  filho  caro, 
A  f azer  o  funereo  enterramento, 
Onde  sejas  de  peixes  mantimento  ? 

.  91. 
Qual  em  cabello :  O  doce  e  amado  esposo, 
Sem  quem  nao  quiz  amor  que  viver  possa ; 
Porque  hia  aventurar  ao  mar  iroso 
Essa  vida,  que  he  mina,  e  nao  he  vossa  ? 
Come  por  hum  caminho  duvidoso 
Vos  esquece  a  affei9ao  tao  doce  nossa  ? 
Nosso  amor,  nosso  vao  contentamento, 
Quereis  que  com  as  velas  leve  o  vento  ? 

92. 
Nestas,  e  outras  palavras,  que  diziam 
De  amor,  e  de  piedosa  humanidade, 
Os  velhos,  e  os  mininos  os  seguiam, 
Em  quem  menos  esfor^o  poem  a  idade : 
Os  montes  de  mais  perto  respondiam, 
Quasi  movidos  de  alta  piedade  : 
A  branca  area  as  lagrimas  banhavam, 
Que  em  multidao  com  ellas  se  igualavam. 

93. 
N6s  outros  sem  a  vista  levantarmos, 
Nem  k  may,  nem  §,  esposa,  neste  estado, 
Por  DOS  nao  magoarmos,  ou  mudarmos 
Do  proposito  firme  comecjado  : 
Determinei  de  assi  nos  embarcarmos, 
Sem  0  despedimento  costmnado, 
Que  postoque  he  de  amor  usan9a  boa, 
A  quem  se  aparta,  ou  fica,  mais  magoa. 

94. 
Mas  hum  velho  d'aspeito  venerando. 
Que  ficava  nas  prayas,  entre  a  gente, 
Postos  em  nos  os  olhos,  meneando 
Tres  vezes  a  cabe9a,  descontente, 
A  voz  pesada  hum  pouco  levantando. 
Que  nos  no  mar  ouvimos  claramente, 
Cum  saber  so  de  experiencias  feito, 
Taes  palavras  tirou  do  expert©  peito. 

95. 
d  gloria  de  mandar !  6  vaa  cobi^a 
Desta  vaidade,  a  quem  chamamos  fama ! 
d  ~f raudulento  gosto,  que  se  ati(,'a 
Cuma  aura  popular,  que  honra  se  chama ! 


THE    POPULACE.  41 

Que  castigo  tamanho,  e  que  justi^a 
Fazes  no  peito  vao,  que  muito  te  ama ! 
Que  mortes,  que  perigos,  que  tormentas, 
Que  crueldades  nelles  experimentas ! 

96. 
Dura  inquieta^ao  d'alma,  e  da  vida, 
Fonte  de  desamparos,  e  adulteries, 
Sagaz  consumidora  conhecida 
De  fazendas,  de  reinos,  e  de  imperios  : 
Chamam-te  illustre,  chamam-te  subida, 
Sendo  digna  de  infames  vituperios : 
Chamam-te  Fama,  e  gloria  soberana, 
Nomes  com  quern  o  povo  nescio  engana. 

87. 
Thus  we  departed  from  the  sacred  fane 
That  sits  upon  the  margin  of  the  sea, 
Named  for  example  to  the  proud  and  vain. 
From  Bethlehem,  where  God,  our  souls  to  free, 
Assumed  the  bonds  of  flesh.     I  scarce  restrain 
My  tears,  O  King  !     I  do  aver  to  thee. 
When  I  remember  Liow  I  left  that  shore. 
In  doubt,  in  trouble,  for  the  charge  I  bore. 

88. 
The  people  of  the  city  on  that  day, 
Some  for  their  kindred,  others  for  their  friends, 
The  mass  in  idle  wonder,  throng'd  the  way, 
With  gloomy  looks  rebuking  hopeless  ends  ; 
While  we,  escorted  by  a  long  array, 
A  thousand  holy  friars,  o'er  the  sands 
In  solemn  slow  procession  seaward  trod. 
And  hymn'd  our  fervent  orisons  to  God. 

89. 
The  multitude  already  deem'd  us  lost 
In  the  long  mazes  of  a  barren  chase  : 
The  wails  of  women  sadden'd  all  the  coast, 
Mix'd  with  the  groans  of  men,  a  dismal  base. 
Brides,  mothers,  sisters,  as  they  loved  the  most. 
With  deepest  anguish  sought  a  last  embrace ; 
And  hopeless  while  in  presence  of  their  own, 
Mourn'd  the  departing  as  for  ever  gone. 

90. 
One  following  cried  :  "  O  son,  on  whom  my  hope 
Reposed  complacent  for  its  comfort,  sole 
And  dear  support  adown  the  painful  slope 
Of  weary  days  that  now  must  end  in  dole, — 


42  FOREBODINGS    OF 

Why  dost  thou  leave  me  all  alone  to  cope 
"With  age  and  •wTetchednesa,  so  near  my  goal  V 
Why  wilt  thou  go  to  find  a  stormy  grave, 
And  feed  the  latent  reptiles  of  the  wave  ?" 

91. 
Another  with  hair  loose :  "  O  heart-loved  spouse ! 
Forlorn  of  whom  love  wills  not  I  should  live, 
What  frenzy  to  the  rage  of  ocean  vo'ws 
A  life  which  is  my  own,  not  thine  to  give  ? 
Our  home  delights — canst  thou  abandon  those, 
To  roam  the  wilds,  a  homeless  fugitive  ? 
Dost  thou  forget  our  love,  our  peace  ?    Are  they 
Sport  for  the  winds  that  waft  the  sails  away  V" 

92. 
Old  men  that  creep  as  if  they  read  the  ground. 
And  little  children,  tottering  as  they  go. 
In  imitation  of  the  mourners  round 
Lament,  for  sorrows  deeper  than  they  know  : 
The  neighbouring  mountains  murmur'd  back  the  souud, 
As  if  to  pity  moved  for  human  woe, 
Uncounted  as  the  grains  of  golden  sand 
The  tears  of  thousands  fell  on  Belem's  strand. 

93. 
We  not  so  much  as  dared  to  lift  our  eyes 
To  wife  or  mother  in  their  sad  estate. 
Lest  at  the  threshold  of  our  enterprise 
The  heart  should  waver  from  its  purpose  great. 
So  to  embark  my  strength  I  ruled  it  wise. 
Evading  thus  a  tender  custom's  weight. 
The  last  farewell,  the  pang  that  courts  delay, 
A  sting  to  those  that  go,  and  those  that  stay. 

94. 
But  an  old  man  of  venerable  look. 
Who  stood  among  the  people  on  the  shore, 
Fasten'd  his  gaze  upon  us,  and  thrice  shook 
His  brow,  in  token  of  displeasure  sore  ; 
And,  clearly  heard  by  us  afloat,  he  spoke. 
From  a  full  heart ;  and  skill'd  in  worldly  lore, 
In  deep  slow  tones  this  solemn  warning  fraught 
With  wisdom  by  long-suffering  only  taught : 

95. 
"  O  passion  of  dominion  !  O  fond  lust 
Of  that  poor  vanity  which  men  call  Fame ! 
O  treacherous  appetite  whose  highest  gust 
Is  vulgar  breath  that  takcth  honour's  name  ! 


THE    POPULACE.  43 

O  fell  ambition,  terrible  but  just 
Art  thou  to  breasts  that  cherish  most  thy  flame  ! 
Brief  life  for  them  is  peril,  storm,  aud  rage. 
This  world  a  hell  and  death  their  heritage. 

96. 
"  Shrewd  prodigal !  whose  riot  is  the  dearth 
Of  states  and  principalities  opprest ; 
Plunder  and  rape  are  of  thy  loathly  birth  ; 
Thou  art  alike  of  life  and  soul  the  pest. 
High  titles  greet  thee  on  this  slavish  earth  ; 
Yet  none  so  vile  but  they  would  fit  thee  best : 
But  Fame  forsooth  and  Glory  thou  art  styled, 
And  the  blind  herd  is  by  a  sound  beguiled." 

Quillinan. 


44  VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Of  the  navigation  which  the  ships  performed,  and  of  the  storms  wliich 
they  underwent,  until  they  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which 
they  did  not  see. 

The  two  companions,  standing  out  to  sea,  as  I  have  said, 
made  their  way  towards  Cape  Verde,^  and  for  that  purpose 

*  Gaspar  Correa,  in  accordance  with  his  annouiiced  design  of  cele- 
brating the  great  deeds  of  the  Portuguese,  is  more  intent  upon  giving 
relief  to  the  personality  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  accordingly  he  passes 
rapidly  over  that  part  of  the  voyage  which  was  not  new  ground.  The 
details  which  he  omits  are  here  supplied  from  John  de  Barros'  Asia,  i 
Decade,  Liv.  iv,  cap.  2  : — 

"  With  the  fair  wind  which  they  had,*  they  arrived  in  thirteen  days 
at  the  island  of  Sant-Jago  which  is  the  chief  one  of  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands,  where  they  took  some  refreshments.  After  leaving  that  island, 
Bartholomew  Dias  accompanied  them  until  he  took  the  direction  and 
course  to  Mina,  and  Vasco  da  Gama  followed  his  course.  The  first  land 
which  he  made  before  reaching  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  the  bay, 
which  is  now  called  that  of  St.  Helena,  five  months  had  passed  since 
he  left  Lisbon  ;t  there  he  went  on  shore  to  take  in  water,  and  also 


*  Castanheda's  account  differs;  he  says  Da  Gama  ordered  the  ships,  if 
separated,  to  rendezvous  at  Cape  Verde  Islands.  They  sighted  the 
Canaries  in  eight  days ;  and,  on  a  subsequent  night  whilst  passing  the 
llio  do  Ouro,  the  ships  parted  company  in  a  storm,  and  during  eight  days 
they  made  their  course  separately  for  the  Cape  Verde  Islands;  and  when 
Paulo  da  Gama,  Coelho,  Diaz,  and  Nunez  had  rejoined  one  another  they 
fell  in  with  Vasco  da  Gama  in  the  afternoon  of  a  Wednesday,  and  they 
saluted  him  with  artillery ;  the  next  day,  the  28th  of  July,  they  reached 
Santiago,  and  took  in  water  and  repaired  their  yard-arms,  and  left  again 
on  a  Thursday,  the  3rd  of  August.  B.  Diaz  took  leave  there  of  Vasco 
da  Gama. 

t  Castanheda  says  they  sighted  land  at  nine  on  Saturday,  the  4th  of 
November;  but,  as  they  did  not  know  this  point  of  the  coast,  they  again 
stood  out  till  the  following  Tuesday,  when  they  made  for  the  shore  and 
reached  a  bay  which  they  named  Sta.  Elena.  Coelho  was  sent  in  jiis 
boat  to  find  water  along  the  coast,  as  there  was  none  in  the  bay,  and  he 
found  soni'^  four  leagues  further  at  a  place  which  he  named  Santiago. 


VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE.  45 

they  stood  well  out  to  sea  to  make  the  coast,  which  they 
knew  they  would  find,  as  it  advanced  much  to  seawards,  as 

to  take  the  sun's  altitude  :  because,  as  there  was  but  a  short  time  since 
mariners  of  this  realm  took  advantage  of  the  use  of  the  astrolabe  for 
that  requirement  of  navigation,  and  as  the  ships  were  small,  they  did 
not  put  much  trust  in  using  them  on  board  on  account  of  the  ship's  pitch- 
ing and  tossing.  They  used  chiefly  an  astrolabe  of  wood  of  three  spans 
diameter,  which  they  mounted  on  three  poles,  in  the  manner  of  shears, 
the  better  to  make  sure  of  and  ascertain  the  solar  line  ;  and  they  were 
able  distinctly  to  kno\^  the  true  altitude  of  that  spot ;  since  they  carried 
with  them  other  small  ones  of  brass,  so  rudely  did  this  art  commence 
which  has  given  such  results  to  navigation.  And  since  in  this  kingdom 
of  Portugal  the  first  use  of  it  was  discovered  in  navigation  (but  we  treat 
of  this  matter  at  length  in  the  first  books  of 'our  geography),  it  will  not 
be  strange  if  in  this  place  we  relate  when,  and  by  whom  it  was  dis- 
covered ;  for  this  work  of  his  is  not  less  worthy  of  praise  than  that  of 
other  new  inventors  who  have  found  out  things  profitable  for  men's  use. 
In  the  time  in  which  the  Prince  Dom  Henrique  began  the  discovery  of 
Guinea,  all  the  navigation  of  mariners  was  along  the  coasts,  always 
making  their  course  by  it,  of  which  they  had  their  knowledge  by  means 
of  signs  of  which  they  made  guides,  as  even  in  the  present  time  they  use 
them  in  some  measure,  and  for  that  manner  of  discovery  that  sufficed. 
But  after  they  wished  to  navigate  in  the  open,  losing  sight  of  the  coast, 
and  standing  out  into  the  wide  ocean,  they  learned  how  many  deceptions 
they  met  with  in  their  estimation,  and  judgment  of  the  day's  run  ;  for, 
according  to  their  method,  they  allowed  so  much  way  to  the  ship  in  the 
twenty-four  hours,  both  by  reason  of  the  currents,  and  for  other  secrets 
which  the  sea  possesses,  of  the  truth  of  which  navigation  by  altitude  is  a 
very  clear  demonstrator.  But,  as  necessity  is  the  teacher  of  all  arts,  in 
the  time  of  the  lung  D.  Joam  II,  this  business  was  given  in  charge  by 
him  to  Master  Rodrigo,  and  Master  Joseph,  a  Jew  :  both  of  them  doc- 
tors of  his,  and  to  one  Martin  of  Bohemia,  a  native  of  those  parts,  who 
boasted  of  being  a  disciple  of  John  of  Monte  Regio,  a  famous  astrono- 
mer amongst  the  professors  of  that  science ;  and  these  found  out  this 
method  of  navigating  by  the  sun's  altitude,  and  they  made  their  tables 
of  its  declination  such  as  are  now  used  by  navigators ;  already  more  per- 
fected than  they  were  at  the  commencement  when  those  great  wooden 
astrolabes  did  the  work.  Well,  whilst  Vasco  da  Gama  was  ready  with 
the  pilots  to  take  the  sun's  altitude  in  this  manner,  they  gave  him 
notice  that  they  had  seen  behind  a  hillock  two  Negroes  walking  and 
stooping  in  the  manner  of  persons  gathering  herbs;  and  as  this  was  the 
chief  thing  which  he  desired,  to  find  some  one  to  give  him  some  infor- 
mation of  the  country,  with  much  joy  he  gave  orders  to  surround  the 


46  VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE. 

they  learned  from  the  sailors  who  had  been  in  the  caravels 
of  Janinfante ;  and  they  ran  as  far  as  they  could  to  sea  in 

Negroes  secretly  and  gently  so  as  to  take  them.  As  they  walked  bent 
down,  and  busy  in  gathering  honey  at  the  foot  of  the  shrubs  with  a 
burning  stick  in  their  hands,  they  did  not  perceive  the  people  who  were 
surrounding  them  until  they  ran  upon  them,  and  caught  one  of  them. 
As  there  was  no  interpreter  who  understood  him,  and  he,  frightened  at 
that  novelty,  did  not  take  readily  to  signs,  which  nature  has  made 
common  to  all  men,  Vasco  da  Gama  ordered  two  ship-boys  to  come,  one  of 
whom  was  a  Negro,  and  to  sit  by  him  to  eat  and  drink,  whilst  he  went 
aside  from  them  to  let  him  get  rid  of  his  fear.  This  method  proved  very 
successful,  for  the  ship-boys  induced  him  to  eat,  so  that  when  Vasco  da 
Gama  returned  he  was  already  rid  of  his  fears,  and  by  signs  pointed  out 
some  mountains,  which  might  be  two  leagues  off,  giving  to  understand 
that  his  people's  village  was  at  the  foot  of  them.  Vasco  da  Gama,  as  he 
could  not  send  a  better  scout  to  call  the  others,  giving  him  a  few  toys  of 
bells  and  crystal  beads,  and  a  cap,  ordered  him  to  be  set  at  liberty, 
making  signs  to  him  to  go  and  return  with  his  companions  to  whom  he 
would  give  as  much.  This  the  Negro  did  at  once,  and  that  afternoon 
brought  ten  or  twelve  men,  who  came  to  seek  what  he  had  got,  which 
was  given  to  them  also  :  but  whatever  articles  of  gold,  silver,  or  spices 
were  shewn  to  them,  they  gave  no  heed  to.  When  next  day  came 
there  came  again  with  these  more  than  forty,  and  were  so  familiar,  that 
a  man-at-arms  named  Fernan  Veloso  begged  Vasco  da  Gama  to  let  him 
go  with  them  to  see  their  village,  so  as  to  bring  some  more  information 
of  the  country  than  what  they  could  give,  which  Vasco  da  Gama  con- 
ceded, almost  at  the  entreaty  of  his  brother,  Paulo  da  Gama. 

"  Fernan  Veloso  having  departed  with  the  Negroes,  and  Vasco  da 
Gama  having  returned  on  board  his  ship,  Nicolas  Coelho  remained 
on  shore  to  look  after  the  crews  whilst  they  collected  wood,  and 
gathered  lobsters,  which  were  abundant  there.  Paulo  da  Gama,  not 
to  be  idle,  and  seeing  many  young  whales  passing  between  the  ships 
in  pursuit  of  the  shoals  of  small  fry,  got  two  boats  to  go  after  them  with 
fish-spears  and  harpoons,  which  pastime  was  near  costing  him  his  life. 
Because  the  sailors  of  the  boat  in  which  he  went,  had  gone  and  made 
fast  the  ropes  of  two  harpoons  to  which  they  were  attached,  to  the  bows 
of  the  boat  where  they  were  tied ;  and  happening  to  strike  a  whale,  it 
struggled  so  much  in  the  fiu-y  of  its  pain,  that  it  was  near  upsetting  the 
boat,  if  the  rope  had  not  been  long  enough  and  the  sea  very  shallow, 
which  caused  the  whale  to  run  against  the  bottom  without  being  able  to 
swim  any  more,  which  served  to  cool  it.  And  as  it  was  already  after- 
noon, and  all  were  about  to  betake  themselves  to  their  shipSj  they  saw 
Fernan  Veloso  coming  down  a  hill  in  a  great  hurry.     Vasco  da  Gama, 


VOYAGE    TO   THE    CAPE.  47 

the  direction  of  the  wind,  to  double  the  land  without  diffi- 
culty ;  and  thus  they  navigated  until  they  made  the  coast, 

who  had  his  eyes  fixed  upon  his  return,  when  he  saw  him  in  that  haste, 
bade  them  hail  the  boat  of  Nicolas  Coelho,  which  was  coming  off  from 
the  shore,  and  tell  him  to  return  to  it  to  take  him  off.  The  sailors  in  the 
boat,  because  Fernan  Veloso  never  omitted  to  talk  of  his  prowess,  when 
they  saw  him  come  down  to  the  beach  at  a  half  trot,  purposely  delayed 
to  take  him  in.  This  detention  caused  the  negroes,  who  were  in  ambush 
waiting  for  them  to  come  out  on  shore,  to  suspect  that  Fernan  Veloso 
had  himself  made  them  some  sign  not  to  came  out.  And  whilst  he  was 
trying  to  get  into  the  boat  two  negroes  ran  up  to  him  to  detain  him,  for 
which  boldness  they  came  off  with  their  chaps  bathed  in  blood  ;  at  which 
the  others  hastened  up,  and  the  shower  of  stones  and  arrows  upon  the 
boat  was  so  great,  that  when  Vasco  da  Gama  arrived  to  pacify  them,  he 
got  an  arrow  through  his  leg,  and  Gonzalo  Alvares,  master  of  the  ship 
San  Gabriel,  and  two  sailors,  each  received  one.  Vasco  da  Gama,  seeing 
that  there  was  no  means  of  peace  with  them,  ordered  to  row  back  to  the 
ships,  and  despatched  a  few  crossbow-men  of  ours  to  expend  their  stores 
upon  them,  so  that  they  should  not  remain  unchastised.*  Two  days  later, 
the  weather  being  fair,  Vasco  da  Gama  gave  orders  for  setting  sail,  with- 


*  Camoens  and  Osorio  mention  the  landing  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
an  observation,  and  the  wound  received  by  Gama  in  the  leg;  and 
Camoens  describes  the  incident  of  Velloso  in  a  very  lively  manner, 
Canto  V,  35 — 

Disse  entao  a  Velloso  hum  companheiro, 
(Come^andose  todos  a  sorrir) 
Oula,  Velloso  amigo,  aquelle  outeiro 
He  raelhor  de  descer,  que  de  subir ; 
Si  he,  responde  o  ousado  aventureiro, 
Mas  quando  eu  para  c^  vi  tantos  vir 
Daquelles  caes,  depressa  hum  pouco  vim, 
Por  me  lembrar,  que  estabeis  ca  sem  mim. 

To  Fernan  then  a  boon  companion  tried, 

While  rang  the  decks  with  laughter's  merry  chime, 

"  Ho,  friend  Velloso,  yonder  mountain  side 

Seems  less  laborious  to  descend  than  climb." 

"  True,"  unabash'd  the  adventurer  replied, 

"  But,  when  yon  black  pack  hither  troop'd,   twas  time, 

For  your  sake,  as  I  thought,  ray  pace  to  mend, 

llemcmbering  you  were  here  without  your  friend." 

Qihillinan. 


48  VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE, 

and  having  reconnoitred  it,  they  tacked  and  stood  out  to 
sea,  hauling  on  the  bowline  as  much  as  they  could,  and  so 

out  bringing  away  any  information  about  the  country,  as  he  had  desired  ; 
for  Fernan  Veloso  had  seen  nothing  to  relate,  except  the  danger  which 
he  said  he  had  met  with  amongst  those  negroes,  who  as  often  as  they  went 
away  from  the  beach  made  him  come  back,  almost  as  if  they  wished  to 
keep  him  there  as  a  decoy,  so  as  to  do  some  mischief  whenever  they  came 
off  to  take  him  on  board,  in  the  manner  which  they  showed.  Vasco  da 
Gama  continued  his  voyage,  standing  out  to  sea  to  get  from  under  the 
land  ;*  when  the  third  day  came,  which  was  the  twentieth  November, 
he  passed  that  great  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  with  less  storms  and  danger 
than  what  the  sailors  expected,  from  the  reputation  which  it  bore,  and  on 
account  of  which  it  was  named  the  Cape  of  Storms ;  and  on  St. 
Catharine's  day  (25th  Nov.)  they  arrived  at  what  is  now  called  the  water- 
ing place  of  San  Braz,  which  is  sixty  leagues  beyond  the  Cape.  Although 
they  found  there  negroes  with  frizzled  hair  like  the  former  ones,  these, 
■without  hesitation,  came  to  the  boats  to  receive  anything  that  was  thrown 
to  them  on  the  beach  ;  and  by  signs  they  began  at  once  to  come  to  an 
understanding  with  our  men,  so  that  barter  was  established  between 
them,  giving  sheep  for  the  things  which  our  people  gave  them.  But  of 
all  the  flocks  of  horned  cattle  that  they  had,  our  people  could  never  ob- 
tain a  single  head.  It  appears  that  they  valued  them  very  highly,  for 
some  of  the  oxen  without  horns  which  our  men  saw,  were  very  fat  and 
clean,  and  women  rode  upon  them  on  pack-saddles  of  reeds.f  During 
three  days  that  Vasco  da  Gama  stayed  here,  our  people  were  much 
entertained  by  them,  as  they  are  pleasure-loving  people,  given  to 
playing  on  musical  instruments  and  dancing ;  among  them  there  were 
some  who  played  upon  a  kind  of  pastoral  flute,  which  seemed  good 
after  its  fashion.^    From  which  place  Vasco  da  Gama  moved  to  another 


*  Castanheda  says  he  sailed  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  the  16th 
November,  and  sighted  the  Cape  on  the  afternoon  of  the  following  Satur- 
day, but  he  could  not  double  the  Cape  till  Wednesday,  the  22nd  of 
November. 

t  Castanheda  says  some  of  the  cattle  were  oxen  without  horns.  He 
and  Osorius  and  Goes  mention  here  some  birds,  called  sotilicayros,  the  size 
of  geese,  which  do  not  fly,  and  bray  like  donkeys;  their  wings  were 
membranes  like  those  of  bats.  Here,  Castanheda  says,  they  remained 
thirteen  days,  and  burned  their  store  ship. 
X  Camoens,  Canto  v,  63 — 

As  mulheres  queimadas  vem  em  cima 
Dos  vagorosos  bois,  alii  sentadas, 
Animaes  que  elles  tem  em  mais  estima, 
Que  todo  o  outro  gado  das  manadas  ; 


» 


VOYAGE   TO    THE    CAPE.  49 

they  ran  for  many  days.  And  as  it  seemed  to  them  that 
now  they  could  double  the  land,  they  again  tacked  towards 
the  coastj  also  on  the  bowline,  against  the  wind,  until  they 
again  saw  the  coast,  much  further  on  than  where  the  cara- 
vels had  reached,  which  the  masters  knew  from  the  sound- 
ings which  they  had  got  written  down  from  the  voyage  of 
Janinfante,  and  the  days  which  they  found  to  have  less  sun 
by  the  clocks.  Having  well  ascertained  this,  they  stood  out 
again  to  sea ;  thus  forcing  the  ships  to  windward,  they  went 
so  far  out  to  sea  towards  the  south,  that  there  was  almost 
not  six  hours  of  sunlight  in  the  day ;  and  the  wind  was  very 
powerful,  so  that  the  sea  was  very  fearful  to  see,  without 
ever  being  smooth  either  by  day  or  night,  but  they  always 
met  with  storms,  so  that  the  crews  suffered  much  hardship. 

port  near  that,  because  there  had  arisen  some  contention  between  our 
men  and  the  negroes  respecting  barter  of  cattle ;  and  they  continued 
along  the  beach,  following  in  sight  of  the  ships  until  they  anchored. 
And  as  a  great  number  had  come,  more  in  form  of  war  than  of 
peace,  he  ordered  a  few  cannon  to  be  fired  at  them,  but  only  to  frighten 
without  hurting  them,  and  he  went  to  take  another  position  two  leagues 
from  that  place,  where  he  took  out  all  the  provisions  which  he  had  in 
the  tender,  and  it  was  burned.  Leaving  this  place  on  the  day  of  the 
Conception  (December  8th),  when  the  fourth  day  arrived,  which  was  the 
eve  of  Santa  Luzia  (Dec.  13th),  a  great  storm  arose." 

Castanheda  agrees  with  this.      Osorio  says  the  storm  arose  on  the 
8th  December. 

Cantigas  pastoris,  ou  prosa,  ou  rima, 

Na  sua  lingua  cantam,  concertadas 

Co'  o  doce  som  das  rusticas  aveuas, 

Imitando  de  Tityro  as  camenas. 

Strange  ditties  singing  in  a  language  strange 
The  sable  women  on  their  oxen  rode ; 
(They  prize,  beyond  all  beasts  that  herded  range, 
These  beeves,  slow- paced  and  patient  of  their  load) 
They  sang  in  concert,  true  to  every  change, 
And  tuned  to  pastoral  reeds  their  voices  flow'd : 
I  thought,  while  listening  to  the  rural  strain, 
The  age  of  Tityrus  was  come  again. 

Quillinan. 


50  VOYAGE  TO  THE  CAPE. 

And  after  a  month  that  they  had  run  on  this  tack,  they 
stood  in  to  shore  and  went  as  long  as  they  could,  all  praying 
to  the  Lord  that  they  might  have  doubled  beyond  the  land ; 
but  when  they  again  saw  it,  they  were  very  sad,  though  they 
found  themselves  much  advanced  by  the  signs  of  the  sound- 
ings which  the  pilots  took,  and  they  saw  land  of  another 
shape  which  they  had  not  before  seen.  Seeing  that  the 
coast  ran  out  to  sea,  the  masters  and  pilots  were  in  great 
confusion,  and  doubtful  of  standing  out  again  to  sea,  saying 
that  that  land  went  across  the  sea  and  had  no  end  to  it. 
This  being  heard  of  by  Vasco  da  Gama,  (according  as  it  was 
presumed,  to  the  information  he  had  from  the  Jew  ^acuto), 
he  told  the  pilots  that  they  should  not  imagine  such  a  thing, 
and  that  without  doubt  they  would  find  the  end  of  that  land, 
and  beyond  it  much  sea  and  lands  to  run  by,  and  he  said  to 
them  :  "  I  assure  you  that  the  Cape  is  very  near,  and  with 
another  tack  standing  out  to  sea,  when  you  return,  you  will 
find  the  Cape  doubled."  This  Vasco  da  Gama  said  to  encou- 
rage them,  because  he  saw  that  they  were  much  disheartened, 
and  with  the  inclination  to  wish  to  put  back  to  Portugal. 
So  he  ordered  them  to  put  the  ships  about  to  sea,  which 
they  did  much  against  their  will ;  for  which  reason  Vasco 
da  Gama  determined  to  stand  on  this  tack  so  long  as  to  be 
able  to  double  the  end  of  the  land  ;  and  besought  all  not.  to 
take  account  of  their  labours,  since  for  that  purpose  they 
had  ventured  upon  them  ;  and  that  they  should  put  their 
trust  in  the  Lord  that  they  would  double  the  Cape. 

Thus  he  gave  them  great  encouragement,  without  ever 
sleeping  or  taking  repose,  but  always  taking  part  with  them 
in  hardship,  coming  up  at  the  boatswain's  pipe  as  they  all 
did.  So  they  went  on-  standing  out  to  sea  till  they  found 
it  all  broken  up  with  the  storm,  with  enormous  waves,  and 
darkness.  As  the  days  were  very  short,  it  always  seemed 
night ;  the  masts  and  shrouds  were  stayed,  because  with  the 
fury  of  the  sea  the  ships  seemed  every  moment  to  be  going 


VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE.  51 

to  pieces.  The  crews  grew  sick  with  fear  and  hardship,  be- 
cause also  they  could  not  prepare  their  food,  and  all  clamoured 
for  putting  back  to  Portugal,  and  that  they  did  not  choose 
to  die  like  stupid  people  who  sought  death  with  their  own 
hands ;  thus  they  made  clamour  and  lamentation,  of  which 
there  was  much  more  in  the  other  ships.  But  the  captains 
excused  themselves,  saying  that  they  would  do  nothing  ex- 
cept what  Yasco  da  Gama  did  ;  and  he  and  his  companions 
underwent  great  labour. 

As  he  was  a  very  choleric  man,  at  times  with  angry  words 
he  made  them  be  silent,  although  he  well  saw  how  much 
reason  they  had  at  every  moment  to  despair  of  their  lives  . 
and  they  had  been  going  for  about  two  months  on  that  tack, 
and  the  masters  and  pilots  cried  out  to  him  to  take  another 
tack ;  but  the  captain  major  did  not  choose,  though  the 
ships  were  now  letting  in  much  water,  by  which  their  labours 
were  doubled,  because  the  days  were  short  and  the  nights 
long,  which  caused  them  increased  fear  of  death ;  and  at  this 
time  they  met  with  such  cold  rains  that  the  men  could  not 
move.  All  cried  out  to  God  for  mercy  upon  their  souls,  for 
now  they  no  longer  took  heed  of  their  lives.  It  now  seemed 
to  Vasco  da  Gama  that  the  time  was  come  for  making 
another  tack,  and  he  comported  himself  very  angrily,  swear- 
ing that  if  they  did  not  double  the  Cape,  he  would  stand  out 
to  sea  again  as  many  times  until  the  Cape  was  doubled,  or 
there  should  happen  whatever  should  please  God.  For 
which  reason,  from  fear  of  this,  the  masters  took  much  more 
trouble  to  advance  as  much  as  they  could;  and  they  took  more 
heart  on  nearing  the  land,  and  escaping  from  the  tempest  of 
the  sea  :  and  all  called  upon  God  for  mercy,  and  to  give 
them  guidance,  when  they  saw  themselves  out  of  such  great 
dangers.  Thus  approaching  the  land,  they  found  their 
labour  less,  and  the  seas  calmer,  so  they  went  on  running 
for  a  long  time,  steering  so  as  to  make  the  land  and  to  ease 
the  ships,  which  they  were  better  able  to  do  at  night  when 


52  VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE. 

the  captain  slept,  which  the  other  ships  did  also,  as  they 
followed  the  lantern  which  Vasco  da  Gama  carried  :  at  night 
the  ships  showed  lights  to  one  another  so  as  not  to  part 
company.  Seeing  how  much  they  had  run,  and  did  not  find 
the  land,  they  sailed  larger  so  as  to  make  it ;  and  as  they 
did  not  find  it,  and  the  sea  and  wind  were  moderate,  they 
knew  that  they  had  doubled  the  Cape  ;^  on  which  great  joy 
fell  upon  them,  and  they  gave  great  praise  to  the  Lord  on 
seeing  themselves  delivered  from  death.  The  pilots  con- 
tinued to  sail  more  free,  spreading  all  the  sails  ;  and  running 
in  this  manner,  one  morning  they  sighted  some  mountain 
peaks  which  seemed  to  touch  the  clouds ;  at  which  their 
pleasure  was  so  great  that  all  wept  with  joy,  alid  all  devoutly 
on  their  knees  said  the  Salve.     After  running  all  day  till 

1  From  Correa's  mentioning  November  a  little  further  on,  the  Cape 
must  have  been  doubled  in  October  or  November.  Barros  and  the 
other  historians  make  the  voyage  from  Lisbon  to  the  Cape  four  months 
and  a  half,  from  July  8  to  November  20  ;  Correa  gives  seven  months, 
from  March  25th  to  the  end  of  October.  Correa's  account  of  the 
doubling  of  the  Cape  and  of  the  long  tacks  to  the  south  is  more  probable 
than  the  short  passage  of  the  other  historians  from  St.  Helena  Bay  to 
the  Cape,  since  all  the  historians  agree  as  to  the  shortness  of  the  days 
and  darkness  which  the  ships  met  with,  and  which  they  must  have  gone 
far  south  of  the  Cajje  to  find  in  anything  like  the  degree  mentioned  by 
Correa,  viz.,  a  day  of  six  hours  sunlight.  This  shortness  of  the  days 
near  the  Cape  shows  that  Gama  arrived  there  in  the  winter  of  that  re- 
gion, that  is  to  say,  much  before  November  (Barros'  date),  which  adds 
to  the  probability  of  Correa's  date  of  the  departure,  March  25,  being 
the  correct  one,  and  not  July  8,  which,  moreover,  is  not  Lady  Day,  as 
stated  by  Barros.  Osorio  also,  in  mentioning  the  discovery  of  St. 
Helena  Bay  and  the  river  St.  James,  which  are  near  to  another,  says 
they  were  so  named  because  of  being  discovered  on  those  saints'  days ; 
but  St.  Helena  is  on  the  18th  August  or  3rd  September,  and  St.  James 
on  the  25th  July,  so  that  these  dates  do  not  agree  unless  older  calendars 
have  a  different  date  for  either  of  these  saints'  days.  Camoens  and 
Barros  moreover  say  that  Gama  reached  St.  Helena  Bay  five  months 
after  leaving  Lisbon,  whereas  from  July  8  to  the  beginning  of  Novem- 
ber (November  7  is  Castanheda's  date)  makes  only  four  months.  Five 
months  from  March  25,  Correa's  date  would  bring  the  date  of  arrival  at 
St.  Helena  into  accordance  with  that  saint's  day,  August  18. 


VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE.  53 

night,  they  were  not  able  to  reach  it,  and  discovered  great 
mountain  ridges,  so  as  it  was  night  they  ran  along  the  coast 
which  lay  from  east  to  west ;  and  they  took  in  all  the  sails 
only  running  under  the  large  sails,  for  these  were  the  orders 
of  the  captain  major.  The  next  day  at  dawn  they  again  set 
all  the  sails  and  ran  to  the  land,  so  that  at  mid-day  they 
saw  a  beach  which  was  all  rocky,  and  running  along  it,  they 
saw  deep  creeks,  and  such  large  bays,  that  they  could  not 
see  the  land  at  the  end  of  them ;  they  also  found  the  mouths 
of  great  rivers,  from  which  water  came  forth  to  the  sea  with 
a  powerful  current ;  here  also,  near  the  land,  they  fouud 
many  fish  which  they  killed  with  fish-spears.  The  watch- 
men in  the  tops  were  always  on  the  look  out  to  see  if  there 
were  shoals  ahead.  The  crews  grew  sick  with  fever  from 
the  fish  which  they  ate,  on  which  account  they  ate  no  more. 
The  pilots,  on  heaving  the  lead,  found  no  bottom  :  so  they 
ran  on  for  three  days,  and  at  night  they  kept  away  from  the 
land,  and  shortened  sail.  Sailing  in  this  manner  they  fell 
in  with  the  mouth  of  a  large  river,  and  the  captain  major 
ordered  a  boat  to  be  lowered,  and  the  pilot  to  sound  the 
entrance  of  the  river ;  and  he  said  that  it  was  superfluous, 
because  if  there  was  a  shoal  it  would  be  burst  through. 
Then  they  took  in  the  sails,  excepting  the  great  one,  with 
which  they  entered  the  river,  which  was  very  lai^ge  :  and 
they  went  up  it,  the  boat  going  befoi-e  and  sounding,  and 
approaching  land,  where  they  found  twelve  fathoms,  they 
anchored.  There  they  found  very  good  fish-,  for  the  i:ivei' 
was  of  fresh  water ;  but  in  the  whole  of  the  river  they  found 
no  beach,  for  there  was  nothing  but  rocks  and  crags.  Then 
Vasco  da  Gama  went  to  see  his  brother,  and  so  did  Nicolas 
Coelho,  and  they  all  dined  with  great  satisfaction,  talking  of 
the  hardships  they  had  gone  through. 

When  th^  had  finished  dining,  Vasco  da  Gama  ordered 
Nicolas  Coelho  to  go  in  his  boat  up  the  river  to  see  if  he 
found  any  village.     He  went   up  more   than  five  leagues. 


54  GREAT    STORM 

without  finding  anything  besides  many  streams  which  came 
from  between  the  mountains  to  pour  into  the  river ;  there 
were  no  woods  in  the  country,  nothing  but  stones  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  :  upon  which  he  returned  to  the  captain 
major.  Then  the  following  day,  before  the  morning,  Vasco 
da  Gama  again  ordered  Nicolas  Coelho  to  go  in  a  boat  with 
sails  and  oars,  and  with  provisions  to  eat,  and  told  him  to  go 
as  far  as  the  head  of  the  river,  to  see  if  he  could  find  anyone 
to  speak  to,  to  learn  what  country  they  were  in.  He  went 
up  the  river  a  distance  of  more  than  twenty  leagues,  and 
returned  without  having  found  anything.  Then  they  decided 
on  going  out  again,  and  they  took  in  water  and  wood  of  the 
dry  trees,  which  it  seems  the  river  brings  down  when  it 
comes  from  the  mountain.  On  that  account  the  captain 
major  wished  himself  in  person  to  discover  the  river  up  to 
its  head,  to  see  whence  could  come  those  trees  which  they 
found  there  dry,  but  the  masters  said  this  would  be  a  labour 
without  profit,  and  that  they  ought  to  go  out  of  the  river 
and  make  for  the  country  which  they  wished  to  seek,  and  they 
would  find  it.  This  seemed  good  to  the  captain  major,  and 
they  came  out  of  the  river,  with  much  labour,  as  the  wind 
was  contrary,  and  entered  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The 
strong  current  of  the  river,  which  went  out  to  sea,  alone 
assisted  them,  and  with  it  they  went  outside  without  sailSj 
only  towing  with  the  boats  which  guided  them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

How  the  ships  saw  land  within  the  Cape,  and  ran  along  it,  and  of  what 
they  found,  and  the  winter  overtook  them  at  sea,  where  they 
weathered  great  storms,  and  Vasco  da  Gama  put  the  pilots  in  irons. 

When  the  ships  returned  to  sea  they  ran  along  the  coast 
with  great  precaution,  and  a  good  look-out  not  to  run  upon 
any  shoals,  and  they  entered  other  great  rivers  and  bays ; 


AFTER    PASSING    TEE    CAPE.  55 

and  they  explored  everywhere  and  searched  without  ever 
being  able  to  meet  with  people^  nor  boats  in  the  sea^  for  all 
the  country  was  uninhabited  :  and  in  entering  and  leaving 
the  rivers  they  endured  much  fatigue,  and  were  much  vexed 
at  not  being  able  to  learn  in  what  country  they  were.  With 
these  detentions  and  delays  they  wasted  much  time,  and 
spent  all  the  summer  of  that  country,  so  they  had  to  run 
along  the  coast  because  the  winds  were  favourable  for  going 
ahead  ;  for  they  were  westerly.  And  because  they  found 
everything  desolate,  without  people  by  land  or  sea,  they 
agreed  unanimously  not  to  enter  anymore  rivers,  but  to  run 
ahead ;  and  thus  they  did ;  for  by  day  they  ran  under  full 
sail,  drawing  as  near  to  the  land  as  possible  to  see  if  they 
could  make  out  any  village  or  beach,  which  as  yet  they  had 
not  seen ;  and  by  night  they  stood  away  to  sea,  and  ran 
under  shortened  sail.  Navigating  in  this  manner,  the  wind 
began  to  moderate,  and  fell  calm  altogether,  which  happened 
in  November,  when  they  had  to  struggle  with  another  wind, 
with  which  they  stood  out  to  sea,  fearing  that  some  contrary 
storm  might  arise ;  then,  taking  in  all  sail,  they  lay  waiting 
for  the  springing  up  of  another  wind,  so  they  went  increasing 
their  distance  from  the  land  till  they  lost  sight  of  it;  for  the 
wind  increased  continually,  and  the  sea  rose  greatly,  for  then 
the  winter  of  that  country  was  setting  in.'    The  masters,  see- 

'  Castanheda  says  :  during  this  storm  Coelho  parted  company  and  re- 
joined the  ships  next  night;  when  the  storm  had  passed,  on  the  16th 
December,  Gama  sighted  the  flat  islands  which  are  sixty  leagues  from 
S.  Bias,  and  five  beyond  the  islet  of  the  Cross,  where  Bartholomew  Diaz 
set  up  his  last  landmark,  and  they  were  fifteen  leagues  from  the  Rio  do 
lifante.  On  Saturday  (17th  December)  they  passed  the  island  of  Cruz, 
and  lay  to  next  night  so  as  not  to  run  by  the  Rio  do  Iffante.  On  Sunday 
they  run  along  the  coast  till  evening,  and  then  stood  off  and  on  the  land 
till  Tuesday,  20th  December,  when  the  wind  shifted  from  astern  to  west. 
That  night  they  lay  to,  and  the  next  day  at  ten  they  reached  the  isle  of 
Criiz,  which  was  sixty  leagues  astern  of  their  reckoning,  on  account  of 
the  great  currents.  The  fleet  then  got  a  stern  wind  for  three  or  four 
days,  which  carried  it  through  the  currents. 


56  GREAT    STORM 

ing  that  the  weather  was  freshening,  took  counsel  as  to  re- 
turning to  land  and  putting  into  some  river  until  meeting 
with  a  change  of  weather.!  This  they  did,  and  putting 
about  to  the  land,  the  wind  increased  so  much  that  they 
were  afraid  of  not  finding  a  river  in  which  to  shelter,  and  of 
being  lost.  On  which  account  they  again  stood  out  to  sea, 
and  made  ready  the  ships  to  meet  the  storm  which  they 
saw  rising  every  moment,  so  that  the  water  should  not  come 
in,  with  ropes  made  fast  to  the  masts,  and  with  the  shrouds 
passed  over  the  yards  so  that  the  masts  should  remain  more 
secure ;  and  they  took  away  all  the  pannels  from  the  tops, 
and  the  sails,  so  as  not  to  hold  the  wind ;  the  small  sails^ 
and  the  lower  sails  all  struck,  and  with  the  foresails  only 
they  prepared  to  weather  the  storm.  Seeing  the  weather  in 
this  state,  the  pilot  and  master  told  the  captain-major  that 
they  had  great  fear  on  account  of  the  weather  because  it  was 
becoming  a  tempest,  and  the  ships  were  weak,  and  that  they 
thought  they  ought  to  put  in  to  land  and  run  along  the  coast 
and  return  to  seek  the  great  river  into  which  they  had  first 
entered,  because  the  wind  was  blowing  that  way,  and  they 
could  enter  it  for  all  that  there  was  a  storm.  But  when  the 
captain-major  heard  of  turning  backwards,  he  answered  them, 
that  they  "  should  not  speak  such  words,  because  as  he  was 
going  out  of  the  bar  of  Lisbon,  he  had  promised  to  God  in 
his  heart  not  to  turn  back  a  single  span's  breadth  of  the  way 
which  he  had  made,  that  on  that  account  they  should  not 
speak  in  that  wise,  as  he  would  throw  into  the  sea  whomso- 
ever spoke  such  things.  At  which  the  crew,  in  despair, 
abandoned  themselves  to  the  chances  of  the  sea  which  was 
broken  up  with  the  increase  of  the  tempest  and  rising  of 
the  gale,  which  many  times  chopped  round,  and  blew  from 
all  parts,  and  at  times  fell ;  so  that  the  ships  were  in  great 
peril  from  their  great  labouring  in  the  waves,  which  ran 
very  high.     Then  the  storm  would  again  break  with  such 

'  Monetae. 


AFTER    PASSING    THE    CAPE.  57 

fury,  that  the  seas  rose  towards  the  sky,  and  fell  back  in 
heavy  showers  which  flooded  the  ships.  The  storm  raging 
thus  violently,  the  danger  was  doubled;  for  suddenly  the  wind 
died  out,  so  that  the  ships  lay  dead  between  the  waves,] 
lurching  so  heavily  that  they  took  in  water  on  both  sides  j 
and  the  men  made  themselves  fast  not  to  fall  from  one  side 
to  the  other ;  and  everything  in  the  ships  was  breaking  up,i 
so  that  all  cried  to  God  for  mercy.  Before  long  the  sea 
came  in  with  more  violence,  which  increased  their  misfortune, 
with  the  great  difficulty  of  working  the  pumps  ;  for  they 
were  taking  in  much  water,  which  entered  both  above  and 
below ;  so  they  had  no  repose  for  either  soul  or  body,  and 
the  crews  began  to  sicken  and  die  of  their  great  hardships. 
At  this  the  pilots  and  masters  and  all  the  people  poured  out 
cries  and  lamentations  to  the  captains,  urgently  requiring 
them  to  put  back  and  seek  an  escape  from  death,  which  there 
they  were  certain  of  meeting  with  by  their  own  will  if  they 
did  not  put  about.  To  which  the  captains  gave  no  other 
reply  than  that  they  would  do  no  such  thing  unless  the  cap- 
tain-major did  it.  The  captain-major,  seeing  the  clamours 
of  his  crew,  answered  them  with  brave  words,  saying,  that 
he  had  already  told  them  that  backwards  he  would  not  go, 
even  though  he  saw  a  hundred  deaths  before  his  eyes:  thus 
he  had  vowed  to  God;  and  let  them  look  to  it  that  it  was  not 
reasonable  that  they  should  lose  all  the  labours  which  they 
had  gone  through  up  to  this  time,  that  the  Lord  who  had 
delivered  them  until  now,  would  have  mercy  upon  them  ; 
they  should  remember  that  they  had  already  doubled  the 
Cape  of  Storms  and  were  in  the  region  which  they  had  come 
to  seek,  to  discover  India,  on  accomplishing  which  and  re- 
turning to  Portugal,  they  would  gain  such  great  honour 
and  recompenses  from  the  King  of  Portugal  for  their  child- 
ren ;  and  they  should  put  their  trust  in  God,  who  is  merci- 
ful, and  who,  from  one  hour  to  another,  would  come  with 
His  mercy,  and  give  them  fair  weather,  and  that  they  should 


jp~ 


,v^ 


58  VASCO    DA    GAMA    REPRESSES 

not  talk  like  people  who  distrusted  the  mercy  of  God.  But, 
although  the  captain-major  always  spoke  to  them  these  and 
other  words  of  great  encouragement^  they  did  not  cease  from 
their  loud  clamour  and  protestations  that  he  would  give  an 
account  to  God  of  their  deaths  of  which  he  would  be  the  cause, 
and  of  the  leaving  desolate  their  wives  and  children :  all 
this  accompanied  by  weeping  and  cries,  and  calls  to  God  for 
mercy.  Whilst  they  went  on  this  way  with  their  souls  in 
their  mouths,"  the  sea  began  to  go  down  a  little,  and  the 
wind  also,  so  that  the  ships  could  approach  to  speak  one 
another,  and  all  clamoured  with  loud  cries  that  they  should 
put  about  to  seek  some  place  where  they  could  refit  the  ships, 
as  they  could  not  keep  them  afloat  with  the  pumps.  The 
crews  of  the  other  ships  spoke  with  more  audacity,  saying 
that  the  captain  was  but  one  man,  and  they  were  many;  and 
they  feared  death  while  the  captains  did  not  fear  it,  nor  took 
any  account  of  losing  their  lives.  The  captain-major  chose 
that  the  two  other  ships  should  know  his  design,  and  he 
said  and  swore  by  the  life  of  the  king  his  sovereign  that 
from  the  spot  where  he  then  was  he  had  not  to  turn  back 
one  spanks  breadth,  even  though  the  ships  were  laden  with 
gold,  unless  he  got  information  of  that  which  they  had  come 
to  seek,  and  that  even  if  he  had  near  there  a  very  good  port 
he  would  not  go  ashore,  lest  some  of  them  should  retire  to 
a  certain  death  on  shore,  allowing  themselves  to  remain 
there,  rather  than  go  on  with  the  ships  trusting  to  the 
mercy  of  God,  in  which  they  had  such  small  reliance  that 
they  made  such  exclamations  from  the  weakness  of  their 
hearts,  as  if  they  were  not  Portuguese:  on  which  account 
he  would  undeceive  them  all,  for  to  Portugal  they  would 
not  return  unless  they  brought  word  to  the  king  of  that 
which  he  had  so  strongly  commended  to  them,  and  that  he 
took  the  same  account  of  death  as  did  any  one  of  them. 
While  they  were  at  this  point  a  sudden  wind  arose,  with  so 
great  a  concussion  of  thunder  and  darkness,  and  a  strunger 


THE    MUTINY   OF    HIS   CREWS.  59 

olast  than  they  had  yet  experienced,  and  the  sea  rose  so 
much  that  the  ships  could  not  see  one  another,  except  when 
they  were  upheaved  by  the  seas,  when  they  seemed  to  be 
amongst  the  clouds ;  and  they  hung  out  lights  so  as  not  to 
part  company,  for  the  anxiety  and  fear  which  the  captain- 
major  felt  was  the  losing  one  of  the  ships  from  his  company, 
so  that  the  seamen  would  put  back  to  Portugal  by  force,  as 
indeed  they  had  very  much  such  a  desire  in  their  hearts.  ] 
But  the  captains  took  very  great  care  of  this,  because 
Vasco  da  Gama,  before  going  out  of  Lisbon,  when  convers- 
ing alone  with  the  Jew  Zacuto  in  the  monastery,  had  received 
from  him  much  information  as  to  what  he  should  do  during 
his  voyage,  and  especially  recommendations  of  great  watch- 
fulness never  to  let  the  ships  part  company,  because  if  they 
separated  it  would  be  the  certain  destruction  of  all  of  them. 
Vasco  da  Gama  took  great  care  of  this,  personally,  and  by 
means  of  his  servants  and  relations  in  whom  he  trusted :  and 
this  they  attended  to  with  much  greater  solicitude  after  they 
had  heard  the  sailors  say  that  they  were  many,  and  the  cap- 
tains only  a  few  single  men ;  and  in  fact  they  had  in  their 
minds  such  an  intention  of  rising  up  against  the  captains, 
and  by  force  putting  back  to  Portugal,  and  they  thought 
that  if  it  became  necessary  to  arrest  them  for  this  and 
bring  them  before  the  king,  he  would  have  mercy  upon 
them,  and  should  they  not  find  mercy,  they  preferred  rather 
to  die  there  where  their  wives  and  children  and  fathers 
were,  and  in  their  native  country,  and  not  in  the  sea  to  be 
eat  by  the  fishes.  With  such  thoughts  they  all  spoke  to 
one  another  secretly,  determining  to  carry  it  out,  and  trust- 
ing  that  the  king  would  not  hang  them  all  for  the  good 
reasons  which  they  would  all  give  him;  or  else  to  secure 
their  lives  they  would  go  to  Castile  until  they  were  pardoned: 
and  this  was  the  greatest  insolence  they  were  guilty  of;  and 
so  they  decided  upon  executing  their  plan.  In  taking  this 
decision   they  did  not  perceive  the  danger  of  death,  into 


60  VASCO    DA    GAMA    REPRESSES 

which  they  were  going  more  than  ever.      In  the  ship   of 

Nicolaa  Coelho  there  was  a  sailor  who  had  a  brother  who 

lived  with  Nicolas  Coelho,  and  was  foster-brother  of  a  son 

of  his;  and  the  sailor  brother  told  this  boy  of  what  they  had 

all  determined  to  do.     This  boy  being  very  discreet,  said  to 

his  brother  that  they  should  all  preserve  great  secrecy,  so 

as  not  to  be  found  out,  for  it  was  a  case  of  treason,  and  he 

warned  his  brother  not  to  tell  any  one  that  he  had  mentioned 

such  a  thing  to  him.     The  boy,  on  account  of  the  affection 

which  he  had  for  his  master  Nicolas  Coelho,  discovered  the 

matter  to  him  in  secret,  and  he  at  once  gave  the  boy  a 

serious  warning  to  be  very  discreet  in  this  matter,  that  they 

should  not  perceive  that  he  had  told  him  anything  of  the 

kind.     With  the  firm  determination  which  Nicolas  Coelho 

at  once  formed  to  die  sooner  than  allow  himself  to  be  seized 

upon,  he  became  very  vigilant  both  by  day  and  night,  and 

warned  the  boy  to  try  to  learn  with  much  dissimulation  all 

that  they  wanted  to  do,  and  by  what  means.     The  boy  told 

him  that  they  would  not  do  it  unless  they  could  first  concert 

with  the  other  ships,   so  that  all  should  mutiny :    at  that 

Nicolas  Coelho  remained  more  at  ease,  but  was  always  very 

much  on  his  guard  for  himself.      As  the   storm  did   not 

abate,  but  rather  seemed  to  increase,  and  as  the  cries  and 

clamour  of  the  people  were  very  great,  beseeching  him  to 

put  back,  Nicolas   Coelho   dissembled  with  them,  saying : 

"  Brothers,  let  us  strive  to  save  ourselves  from  this  storm, 

for  I  promise  you  that  as  soon  as  I  can  get  speech  with  the 

captain-major,  I  will  require  him  to  put  back,  and  you  will 

see  how  I  will  require  it  of  him."     With  this  they  remained 

satisfied.     Some  days  having  passed  thus  with  heavy  storms, 

the  Lord  was  pleased  to  assuage  the  tempest  a  little  and 

the    sea   grew    calm,   so    that    the    ships    could   speak  one 

another :  and  Nicolas  Coelho  coming  up  to  speak,  shouted 

to  the  captain-major  that :  ''  It  would  be  well  to  put  about, 

since  every  moment  they  had  death  before  their  eyes,  and  if 


THE    MUTINY    OP    HIS    CEEWS.  61 

they  who  were  captains  did  not  choose  to  do  so,  and  so 
many  men  who  went  in  their  company  were  so  piteously 
begging  with  tears  and  cries  to  put  back  the  ships,  and 
they  did  not  choose  to  do  so,  it  would  be  well  if  they  should 
kill  or  arrest  us,  and  then  they  would  put  back  or  go  where 
it  was  convenient  to  save  their  lives ;  which  we  also  ought 
to  do,  and  if  we  do  not  do  it,  let  each  one  look  out  for  him- 
self, for  thus  I  do  for  my  part,  and  for  my  conscience  sake, 
for  I  would  not  have  to  give  an  account  of  it  to  the  Lord." 
Paulo  da  Gama,  who  also  had  come  up  within  speaking  dis- 
tance, heard  all  this.  When  they  had  heard  these  words  of 
Nicolas  Coelho,  who,  on  ending  his  speech,  at  once  begun 
to  move  away,  the  captain-major  answered  him  that  he 
would  hold  a  consultation  with  the  pilot  and  his  crew,  and 
that  whatever  he  determined  to  do,  he  would  make  a  signal 
to  him  of  his  resolution.  During  this  time  they  lay  hove 
to  in  the  smooth  water,  because  the  wind  never  changed 
from  its  former  point.  Vasco  da  Gama,  as  he  was  very 
quick-witted,  at  once  understood  what  Nicolas  Coelho's 
words  meant,  and  called  together  all  the  crew,  and  said  to 
them  that  he  was  not  so  valiant  as  not  to  have  the  fear  of 
death  like  themselves,  neither  was  he  so  cruel  as  not  to  feel 
grieved  at  heart  at  seeing  their  tears  and  lamentations,  but 
that  he  did  not  wish  to  have  to  give  account  to  God  for 
their  lives,  and  for  that  reason  he  begged  them  to  labour 
for  their  safety,  because  if  the  bad  weather  came  again  he 
had  determined  to  put  back,  but  to  disculpate  himself  with 
the  king,  it  was  incumbent  upon  him  to  draw  up  a  docu- 
ment of  the  reasons  for  putting  back,  with  their  signatures. 
At  this  all  raised  their  hands  to  heaven,  saying  that  its 
mercy  was  already  descending  upon  them,  since  it  was 
softening  the  heart  of  the  captain-major  and  inclining  him  to 
put  back,  and  they  said  that  all  would  sign  the  great  ser- 
vice which  he  would  render  to  God  and  to  the  king  by  put- 
ting back.     Then  the  captain-major  said  that  there  was  no 


62  GAMA    PUTS   THE    PILOTS    IN   IRONS 

need  of  the  signatures  of  all,  but  only  of  those  who  best 
understood  the  business  of  the  sea.      Then  the  pilot  and 
master  named  them,  and  they  were  three  seamen.     Upon 
this  the  captain-major  retired  to  his  cabin,  and  told  his  ser- 
vants to  stand  at  the  door  of  the  cabin,  and  put  inside  the 
clerk  to  draw  up  the  document,  and  ordered  the  three  sea- 
men to  enter :  and  dissembling,  he  made  inquiries  as  to  re- 
turning to  port,  and  all  was  written  down  and  they  signed 
it.     He  then  ordered  them  to  go  down  below  to  another 
cabin  which  he  had  beneath  his  own  for  a  store-cabin,  and 
he  ordered  the  clerk  to  go  down  also  with  them,  and  he 
summoned  the  master  and  pilot  and  ordered  them  below 
also,  telling  them  to  go  and  sign,  as  the  clerk  was  there. 
Then  he  called  up  the  seamen  one  by  one,  and  ordered  them 
to  be  put  in  irons  by  his  servants  in  his  cabin,  and  heavy 
irons  for  the  master  and  pilot.     All  being  well  ironed  and 
bound,  the  captain-major  turned  them  out,  and  called  all 
the  men,  ordering  the  master  and  pilot  at  once  to  give  up 
to  him  all  the  articles  which  they  had  belonging  to  the  art 
of  navigation,  or  if  not,   that  he  would  at  once  execute 
them  ;  of  which  being  greatly  afraid,  they  gave  everything 
up  to  him.     Then  Vasco  da  Gama,  holding  them  all  in  his 
hand,  flung  them  into  the  sea,  and  said — "  See  here,  men, 
that  you  have  neither  master  nor  pilot,  nor  any  one  to  show 
you  the  way  from  henceforward,  because  these  men  whom  I 
have  arrested  will  return  to  Portugal  below  the   deck,  if 
they  do  not  die  before  that,"  (for  he  was  aware  that  they  had 
agreed  amongst  one  another  to  rise  up  and  return  by  force 
'to  Portugal,  and  on  that  account  had  cast  everything  into 
the  sea),  "  and  I  do  not  require  master  nor  pilot,  nor  any  man 
who  knows  the  art  of  navigation,  because  God  alone  is  the 
master  and  pilot  who  had  to  guide  and  deliver  them  by  His 
mercy  if  they  deserved  it,  and  if  not,  let  His  will  be  done. 
To  Him  you  must  commend   yourselves  and  beg  mercy. 
Henceforward  let  no  one  speak  to  me  of  putting  back,  for 


AND  THROWS  THE  QUADRANTS  OVERBOARD.       63 

know  from  me  of  a  certainty,  that  if  I  do  not  find  informa- 
tion of  what  I  have  come  to  seek,  that  to  Portugal  I  do  not 
return."     Seeing  and  hearing  these  things,  the  crew  became 
much  more  terrified,  and  with  much  greater  fear  of  death, 
which    they   held   as    certain,   not   having   either   pilot   or 
master,  nor  any  one  who  knew  how  to  navigate  a  ship. 
Then  the  prisoners  and  all  the  crew  on  their  knees  begged 
him  for  mercy  with  loud  cries ;  the  prisoners  saying  that 
they,  being  ignorant  men  and  of  faint  heart,  had  come  to 
an  understanding  to  put  the  ship  about  and  return  to  the 
king  and  oifer  themselves  for  death,  if  he  chose  to  give  it 
them, and  they  would  have  taken  him  a  prisoner,  that  the  king 
might  see  that  he  was  not  to  blame  for  putting  back ;  but 
this  was  not  to  have  been  done,  except  with  the  will  of  all 
the  people  of  the  other  ships:  but  since  God  had  discovered 
this  to  him  before  they  had  carried  it  out,  let  him  show 
them  clemency ;  for  well  they  saw  that  they  deserved  death, 
from   him,   which   was  more   than   the   chains  which  they 
bore.     All  the  crew  frequently  called  out  to  him  for  clemency, 
and  not  to  put  the  prisoners  below  the  decks,  where  they 
would  soon  die.     Then  the  captain-major,  showing  that  he- 
only  did  it  at  their  entreaty,  and  not  for  any  need  which  he 
had  of  them,  ordered  them  to  remain  in  their  cabins  in  the 
forecastle^  still  in  irons,  and  forbade  their  giving  any  direc- 
tions for  the  navigation  of  the  ship,  except  only  for  the 
trimming  of  the  sails  and  the  work  of  the  ship.     Vasco  da> 
Gama  then  ran  alongside  of  the  other  ships  and  spoke  them, 
saying  that  he  had  put  his  pilot  and  master  in  irons,  in 
which  he  would  bring  tliem  back  to  the  kingdom,  if  God 
pleased  that  they  should  return  there;  and  that  they  should 
not  imagine  that  he  had  any  need  of  their  knowledge,  he 
had  flung  into  the  sea  all  the  implements  of  their  art  of 
navigation,  because  he  placed  his  hopes  in  God  alone,  who 
would  direct  them  and  deliver  them  from  the  perils  amongst 

'  Chapiteo. 


64  REPRESSION    OF   THE    MUTINY. 

whicli  they  were  going :  and  on  that  account,  since  he  had 
now  made  his  men  secure,  let  them  secure  themselves  as 
they  pleased :  and  without  waiting  for  an  answer  he  sheered 
off.  Nicolas  Coelho  felt  great  joy  in  his  heart  on  hearing 
from  the  captain-major  that  he  had  got  his  pilot  and  master 
thus  secured  from  rising  against  him,  since  he  had  put 
them  in  irons;  and  with  much  dissimulation  he  spoke  to  his 
master  and  pilot  and  seamen,  saying  that  he  was  much 
grieved  at  the  captain-major's  way  of  treating  his  ship's 
officers,  whom  he  stood  so  much  in  need  of  in  the  labours 
they  were  undergoing,  but  what  he  had  done  was  because 
of  his  being  of  so  strong  and  thorough  a  temperament,  as 
they  all  knew,  and  he  had  not  chosen  to  wait  for  them  to 
make  entreaty  for  the  liberty  of  the  prisoners,  but  that 
whenever  the  ships  again  spoke  one  another  he  would  do 
it.  This  all  the  crew  begged  him  to  do,  with  loud  cries  of 
mercy,  since  they  would  follow  the  flagship  wherever  it 
went.  This  Nicolas  Coelho  promised  them,  so  they  re- 
mained contented.  Paulo  da  Gama  had  other  conversations 
with  the  officers  of  his  ship,  with  much  urbanity,  for  he  was 
a  man  of  gentle  disposition ;  he  also  promised  them  that  he 
would  entreat  his  brother  on  behalf  of  the  prisoners,  and 
bade  all  pray  God  for  the  saving  of  their  lives,  and  that  all 
would  end  well,  so  that  all  remained  consoled.^ 

•  Barros  says  nothing  of  this  repressed  mutiny,  and  Camoens  praises 
the  constant  obedience  of  the  Portuguese  who  might  have  been  ex- 
pected to  rebel ;  yet  the  Portuguese  have  more  reason  to  glory  in  Gaspar 
Correa's  account  of  Vasco  da  Gama's  struggles,  not  only  with  the  ele- 
ments, but  also  with  his  faint-hearted  crew,  than  in  Camoens'  descrip- 
tion, which  gives  him  a  shipf ul  of  heroes. 

V,  72. 

Cr6s  tu  que  ja  nao  forao  levantados 

Contra  sen  capitao,  se  os  resistira, 

Fazendose  piratas,  obrigados 

De  desesperafjao,  de  fome,  &  de  ira  ? 

Grandemente  por  certo  estao  provados, 

Pois  que  nenhum  trabalho  grande  os  tira 

Daquelle  Portuguesa  alta  excellencia, 

De  lealdade  firme,  &  obediencia. 


VOYAGE    FROM    THE    CAPE,  65 


CHAPTER    X. 

How  the  ships  entered  a  beautiful  river,  in  which  they  refitted  the  two 
ships  and  burned  the  other,  and  they  named  this  river  the  River  of 
Mercy. 

Whilst  these  things  were  happening  the  wind  did  not  shift 
its  direction,  but  the  sea  being  smoother  the  ships  were 
more  easy,  though  they  let  in  so  much  water  that  they  never 
left  off  pumping.  The  captain-major  saw  this,  and  that  the 
ships  had  an  absolute  need  of  repairs  ;  and  also  because  they 
had  no  more  water  to  di'ink,  because,  with  the  tossing 
about  in  the  storm,  many  barrels  had  broken  and  given  way 
under  such  great  pressure,  he  stood  in  to  land  under  sail, 
for  the  weather  was  moderate  and  was  beginning  to  be 

Think'st  thou,  they  had  not  risen  long  ago 
Against  their  gen 'rail  (cross  to  their  desire) 
Turning  freebooters,  forced  to  be  so 
By  black  despair,  by  hunger,  and  by  ire? 
If  ever  men  were  try'de,  these  are  :  since  no 
Fatigue,  no  suff'rings,  were  of  force,  to  tyre 
Their  great  and  Lusitanian  excellence 
Of  loyalty,  and  firm  obedience. 

Fanshav}. 

Osorio,  however,  mentions  the  mutiny  and  its  repression,  only  he  de- 
scribes it  as  occurring  before  the  Cape  was  doubled  :  he  says — 

"As  often  as  there  was  some  diminution  of  the  storm,  the  crews,  half 
dead  with  fear,  pressed  round  Gama,  and  prayed  and  conjured  him  not 
to  extinguish  by  such  a  dreadful  death  both  himself  and  the  men  com- 
mitted to  his  charge,  for  the  waves  could  not  be  resisted  much  longer  ; 
and  they  prayed  him  to  yield  to  the  tempest  and  to  suffer  the  fleet  to  be 
taken  back  to  their  country  before  it  was  sunk  in  the  waves.  When  he, 
with  a  constant  mind,  rejected  their  demands,  several  conspired  to- 
gether to  kill  him.  Gama,  who  learned  this  from  the  information  of 
his  brother  Paul,  avoided  these  snares  by  the  greatest  vigilance,  and  put 
the  pilots  in  chains,  and  he  himself  performed  the  duty  of  the  chief 
pilot." 


66  DISCOVERY    OP   NATAL, 

favourable  :^  all  were  praying  to  God  for  mercy,  and  that 
He  would  grant  them  a  haven  of  safety.  Which  God  was 
pleased  to  do  in  His  mercy,  for  presently  He  showed  them 
land,^  at  which  it  seemed  that  all  were  resuscitated  from 
the  death  which  they  looked  upon  as  certain  if  the  ships 
were  not  repaired.  After  that  the  wind  came  free,  and 
they  sailed  along  the  land  for  several  days  without  finding 
where  to  put  in ;  this  was  now  in  January  of  the  year  1498. 
Thus  they  ran  close  to  the  land,  with  a  careful  look  out,  for 
they  did  not  dare  to  leave  the  land,  from  the  great  peril  in 
which  the  ships  were  from  the  great  leakage.  Proceeding 
in  this  way,  one  day  they  found  themselves  at  dawn  in  the 
mouth  of  a  large  river,^  into  which  the  captain-major  entered, 
for  he  always  went  first ;  and  all  entered,  and  found  within 
a  large  bay  sheltered  from  all  winds,  in  which  they  anchored, 

•  Forao  na  volta  da  terra  dando  as  velaa  per  o  tempo  ser  brando  e  hia 
largando :  todos  pedindo  a  Deos  misericordia.  The  printed  edition  has 
a  different  punctuation,  and  has  altered  todos,  which  all  the  MSS.  have, 
to  iodas  referring  to  the  sails  :  this  would  require  hia  to  be  in  the  plural. 

^  Barros  says  that,  after  the  storm,  they  reached  what  are  now  named 
Ilheos  Chaos,  Low  Islands,  five  leagues  further  on  than  the  island  of 
Cruz,  where  Bartholomew  Dias  set  up  his  land-mark :  in  these  parts,  by 
reason  of  the  strong  currents,  they  sometimes  advanced,  at  others  lost 
way,  until  Christmas  Day  {Natal),  they  passed  the  coast  of  Natal,  to 
which  they  gave  this  name. 

»  This  river  will  be  the  one  to  which  Barros  gives  the  name  of  dos 
Reys,  because  they  arrived  there  on  the  twelfth  day ;  and  some,  he  says, 
call  it  do  cobre,  of  copper,  because  of  the  barter  of  copper  bracelets  with 
the  Negroes.  Castanheda  says  :  continuing  their  voyage  (after  the 
Btorm),  they  sighted  land  seventy  leagues  more  to  the  eastward  on  Christ- 
mas Day ;  they  then  stood  out  to  sea  and  suffered  much  from  want  of 
water,  and  on  a  Thursday,  the  10th  of  January,  the  boats  went  along 
the  shore,  and  Martin  Afonso,  the  interpreter,  was  sent  ashore  and  well 
received.  Here  Gama  remained  five  days,  and  the  watering-place  was 
named  Agoada  de  Boa  gente,  and  the  river  Rio  do  Cobre  from  the  copper 
which  the  Negroes  bartered  for  shirts.  Gama  left  on  the  15th  January, 
and  sailed  along  the  coast  till  the  24th,  when  he  anchored  in  the  mouth 
of  a  great  river,  which  they  named  Dos  bons  sinaes.  Damian  de  Goes 
gives  a  similar  account,  only  he  states  the  arrival  at  the  rio  Dos  bons 
sinaes  as  happening  on  the  25th  January,  St.  Paul's  Conversion. 


OP   THE    RIVEE   OP   MEBCY    OR   OP   THREE    KINGS.  67 

and  all  exclaimed  three  times — "  The  mercy  of  the  Lord 
God  V  for  which  reason  they  gave  this  river  the  name  of 
the  River  of  Mercy.  Here  they  soon  caught  much  good 
fish,  with  which  the  sick  improved,  as  it  was  fresh  food,  and 
the  water  of  the  river  was  very  good.  Now,  at  this  time, 
in  all  the  ships  there  were  not  more  than  a  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  for  all  the  rest  had  died.  Soon  after  arriving  at 
this  place  the  captain-major  went  to  see  his  brother  and 
Nicolas  Coelho,  and  they  conversed,  relating  their  hard-  / 
ships ;  and  Nicolas  Coelho  related  the  treason  which  his 
men  were  preparing,  to  take  him  prisoner  and  return  to 
Portugal,  and  they  did  not  do  it  from  the  fear  they  had  that  ) 
the  captain-major  would  follow  after  them,  and  if  he  caught 
them  would  have  hung  them  all ;  and  they  only  waited  for 
all  to  agree  together  to  mutiny ;  and  he  had  sought  thosQ 
feigned  words  which  he  had  spoken,  and  it  had  pleased 
God  that  Vasco  da  Gama  had  understood  them,  so  that  by 
his  imprisoning  his  officers  at  once  all  had  remained  secure. 
So  all  gave  praise  to  the  Lord  for  having  delivered  them 
from  such  great  perils.  Then  they  settled  about  refitting 
the  ships,  for  they  had  all  that  was  necessary  for  doing  it. 
Although  they  had  a  beach  and  tides  for  laying  the  ships 
aground,  for  greater  security  it  was  ordered  that  they 
should  be  heeled  over  whilst  afloat,  and  thus  it  was  arranged 
for  by  all  of  them.  While  they  were  on  the  quarter-deck, 
Paulo  da  Gama  entreated  his  brother  to  set  the  prisoners  at.^ 
liberty,  which  he  did,  setting  free  the  sailors,  and  the 
master  and  pilot,  with  the  condition  that,  if  God  should 
bring  them  back  to  Lisbon,  when  he  went  before  the  king 
he  would  present  them  to  him  in  the  same  manner  in 
chains,  not  to  do  them  any  harm,  but  only  that  his  difficul- 
ties might  be  credited,  and  that  for  this  he  would  give  him 
greater  favours  :  at  which  all  the  crews  felt  much  satisfac- 
tion. Afterwards  they  spoke  with  all  the  officers,  and 
arranged  for  careening  the  ships,  and  went  to  look  at  them. 


68  CAREENING    THE    SHIPS. 

They  found  that  there  was  no  repairing  the  ship  of  Nicolas 
Coelho,  as  it  had  many  of  the  ribs  and  knees  broken.  For 
that  reason  they  at  once  decided  to  break  it  up  •}  and  then 
they  cut  out  its  masts,  and  much  timber  and  planks  of  the 
upper  works,  which,  with  the  yards  and  spars  of  the  other 
ships  lashed  together  and  fastened,  made  a  great  frame, 
which  they  put  under  the  side  of  the  ship  to  raise  it  more 
out  of  the  water :  for  this  purpose  they  then  discharged 
from  the  captain-major's  ship  into  that  of  his  brother,  which 
was  brought  alongside,  all  that  they  could  of  the  stores  and 
goods ;  and  everything  heavy  below  decks  they  put  on  one 
side  of  the  ship,  which  caused  it  to  heel  over  very  much, 
and  with  the  timber  under  the  side,  and  the  tackle  fitted  to 
the  main-mast,  they  canted  the  ship  over  on  one  side  so 
much  that  they  laid  her  keel  bare ;  and  on  the  outer  side 
they  put  planks  upon  which  all  the  crew  got  to  work  at  the 
ship,  some  cleaning  the  planks  from  the  growth  of  seaweed, 
others  extracting  the  caulking,  which  was  quite  rotten,  from 
the  seams ;  and  the  caulkers  put  in  fresh  oakum  and  then 
pitched  it  over,  for  they  had  a  stove  in  a  boat  where  they  boiled 
the  pitch.  The  captains  were  occupied  with  their  own  work 
day  and  night,  and  gave  much  food  and  drink  to  the  crews, 
so  that  they  used  such  dispatch,  that  in  one  day  and  one 
night,  by  morning  they  had  finished  one  side  of  the  ship, 
very  well  executed,  though  with  great  labour  in  drawing 
out  the  water  from  the  ship,  which  leaked  very  much  lying 
thus  on  one  side.  When  she  was  upright,  they  turned  her 
over  on  the  other  side,  and  did  the  same  work  much  better 
performed,  because   the   ship  did  not  leak  so   much;  and 

*  Barros  mentions  careening  the  ships,  but  nothing  of  breaking  up 
the  ship  of  Nicolas  Coelho ;  on  the  contrary,  he  says  later  that  that 
ship  being  the  smallest,  led  the  way  along  the  coast.  Goes  says  they 
heeled  the  ships  over  and  careened  them,  and  passed  thirty-two  days 
here.  Castanheda  says  the  same,  only  he  says  they  beached  the  ships 
(tirar  os  navios  a  monte). 


I 


COELHO'S    SHIP    BROKEN    DP.  69 

when  it  was  completed  and  the  ship  upright^  it  was  so  sound 
and  watertight  that  for  two^  days  there  was  no  water  in  the 
pump.     Then  they  loaded  it  again  with  its  stores,  and  tran- 
shipped to  it  the  stores  of  the  other  ship,  upon  which  they 
executed  the  before-mentioned  caulking  and  repairs,  so  that 
it  became  like  new.  They  then  fitted  them  inside  with  several 
knees,  and   ribs,  and  inner  planking,  and  all  that  was  re- 
quisite, with  great  perfection,  and  collected  the  yards,  spars, 
and  all  that  they  had  need  of  belonging  to  the  ship  San 
Miguel ;  and  the  captain-major  took  Nicolas  Coelho  on  board 
of  his  ship,  entertaining  him  well.     They  then  took  away 
from  the  ship  much  wood  for  their  use,  and  beached  the 
ship,  and  took  away  its  rudder,  and  undid  it,  and  stowed 
away  its  wood  and  iron-works,  in  case  of  its  being  wanted 
for  the  other  ships,  because  they  had  all  been  built  of  the 
same  pattern  and  size,  as  a  precaution  that  all  might  be  able 
to  take  advantage  of  any  part  of  them.     Then  they  burned 
the  ship  in  order  to  recover  the  nails,  which  were  in  great 
quantity,  and  a  great  advantage  for  other  necessities  which 
they   met  with  later.     After  they  had  thus  repaired    the 
ships,  the  captain-major  sent  Nicholas  Coelho  with  twenty 
men  in  a  boat  to  go  and  discover  the  river :  and  he,  after 
ascending  it  for  two  leagues,  found  woods  and  verdure,  and 
further  on  he  found  some  canoes  which  were  fishing,  and 
the  men  in  them  were  dark,  but  not  very  black ;  they  were 
naked,  having  only  their  middles  covered  with  leaves   of 
trees  or  grass.     These  men,  when  they  saw  the  boat,  came 
to  it,  and  entered  it  in   a  brutish   manner,  and  were  in 
a  state  of  amazement.     No   one  knew  how  to   speak    to 
them,  and  they  did  not  understand  the  signs  which  were 
made  to  them.     So  Nicolas  Coelho  made  them  go  back  to 
their  canoes,  and  returned  to  the  ships,  but  of  the  canoes 
one  followed  after  the  boat,  and  the  others  returned  to  take 
the  news  to  their  villages.     These  men  who  came  with  the 
boat,  at  once,  without  any  fear,  entered  the  ship  and  sat 
1  The  Lisbon  edition  has  ten  days. 


41^' 


70  FIRST    MEETING    WITH 

down  to  rest,  as  if  they  were  old  acquaintance ;  no  one 
knew  how  to  speak  to  them.  Then  they  gave  them  biscuit 
and  cakes  and  slices  of  bread  with  marmalade  :  this  they 
did  not  understand  until  they  saw  our  people  eat,  then  they 
ate  it,  and  as  they  liked  the  taste,  they  ate  in  a  great 
,  hurry,  and  would  not  share  with  one  another.  Whilst  this 
was  going  on  they  saw  many  canoes  coming,  and  larger 
ones,  with  many  of  those  people  also  naked,  with  tangled 
hair  like  Cafrev^  'without  any  other  arms  than  some  sticks 
like  half  lances,  hardened  in  the  fire  with  sharp  points 
greased  over.  The  captain-major,  seeing  the  other  canoes 
coming,  ordered  the  first  come  to  go  to  their  canoe,  which 
they  did  unwillingl}^,  and  went  out  and  remained  to  speak 
with  those  that  were  arriving  and  went  their  way.  The 
others  arrived,  and  all  wanted  to  come  on  board ;  as  they 
were  more  than  a  hundred,  the  captain-major  would  not 
allow  them,  only  ten  or  twelve,  who  brought  some  birds 
which  were  something  like  hens,  and  some  yellow  fruit  of 
the  size  of  walnuts,  a  very  well  tasted  thing  to  eat,  which 
our  men  would  not  touch,  and  they  seeing  that,  ate  them 
for  our  people  to  see,  who,  on  tasting  them,  were  much 
pleased  with  them  :'they  killed  one  of  the  birds,  and  found 
it  very  tender  and  savoury  to  eat,  and  all  its  bones  were 
like  those  of  a  fowl.  The  captain-major  ordered  biscuit  and 
wine  to  be  given  them,  which  they  would  not  touch  till 
jthey  saw  our  people  drink.  He  also  ordered  a  looking- 
glass  to  be  given  them;  when  they  saw  it  they  were  much 
amazed,  and  looked  at  one  another,  and  again  looked  at  the 
mirror,  and  laughed  loudly  and  made  jokes,  and  spoke  to 
the  others  who  were  in  the  canoes.     They  went  away  with 

'  Cafre  here  means  a  negro,  and  from  the  use  of  the  word  before, 
page  8,  with  reference  to  Benin,  it  appears  that  the  Portuguese  got  the 
name  from  the  Arabs  of  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  and  that  the  name  was 
applied  to  the  nation  we  call  Kaffirs  by  the  Portuguese,  and  not  by  the 
Arabs,  as  is  usually  supposed. 


THE    NATAL    KAFFRES.  71 

the  looking-glass  highly  delighted,  and  left  six  birds  and 
much  of  the  fruit,  and  all  went  away ;  and  in  the  afternoon 
they  came  again,  but  bringing  a  quantity  of  those  birds,  at 
which  our  men  rejoiced  very  much,  and  filled  hen-coops 
with  them,  because  they  gave  them  and  were  satisfied  with 
anything  that  was  given  them,  especially  white  stuffs;  so 
that  the  seamen  cut  their  shirts  in  pieces,  with  which  they 
bought  so  many  of  these  birds  that  they  killed  and  dried 
them  in  the  sun,  and  they  kept  very  well.  Here  it  was 
observed  that  in  this  river  there  were  no  flies,  for  they 
never  saw  any  all  the  time  they  were  there,  which  was 
twenty  days ;  and  they  went  away  because  the  crew  began 
to  fall  ill.  It  seems  that  it  was  from  that  fruit  which  was 
very  delicious  to  eat  ;^  and  the  principal  ailment  was  that 

'  Barros  describes  this  sickness,  and  says  that  it  happened  during  the 
stay  of  the  ships  for  a  month  to  careen  and  repair,  but  he  places  the  re- 
fitting of  the  ships  in  February  in  the  river  of  Bons  Sinaes^  north  of 
Cabo  de  Corrientes  and  of  Sofala,  instead  of  in  January  in  the  river  of 
Afisericordia  of  Correa,  which  must  be  the  same  as  Barros'  river  dos 
Reys  (Twelfth  Day),  since  Correa  says  "it  was  now  January"  just  before 
they  entered  the  river  of  Misericordia.  Barros  says  of  the  sickness — 
"  The  greater  part  of  the  sickness  was  erysipelas,  and  the  so  great 
growth  of  the  flesh  of  their  gums,  that  it  would  hardly  be  contained  in 
the  men's  mouths,  and  as  it  grew  it  rotted,  and  they  cut  into  it  like  into 
dead  flesh :  a  very  pitiable  thing  to  see ;  which  sickness  they  afterwards 
came  to  know  proceeded  from  the  salt  meat  and  fish,  and  biscuit  spoiled 
by  long  time."  This  is  probably  the  first  occurrence  or  mention  of  the 
ecurvy  at  sea.  Camoens,  as  usual  following  Barros,  places  these  events  at 
the  same  time  and  place. 

Canto  v,  79. 

Aqui  de  limos,  cascas,  &  de  ostrinhas, 
Nojosa  cria^ao  das  agoas  fundas, 
Alimpamos  as  naos,  que  dos  caminhos 
Longos  do  mar,  vem  sordidas,  &  imundas  : 
Dos  hospedes,  que  tinhamos  visinhos. 
Com  mostras  aprasiveis,  &  jocundas 
Houvemos  sempre  o  usado  mantimento, 
Limpos  de  todo  o  falso  pcusamento. 


72  MANY    OF    THE    CREWS 

their  gums  swelled  and  rotted^  so  that  their  teeth  fell  out,  and 
there  was  such  a  foul  smell  from  the  mouth  that  no  one  could 
endure  it.  The  captain-major  provided  a  remedy  for  this,  for 
he  ordered  that  each  one  should  wash  his  mouth  with  his  own 
water  each  time  that  he  passed  it,  by  doing  which  in  a  few 
days  they  obtained  health^     The  captain-major  made  a  hole 

*  The  prejudice  that  this  is  a  remedy  or  a  prophylactic  is  very  ancient 
in  the  Peninsula:  Strabo,  lib.  iii,  164,  and  Diodorus  Siculus,  v,  22, 
mention  that  the  Celtiberians  thus  washed  their  teeth.  Apuleius  and 
Catullus  are  said  also  to  mention  this  usage.  The  prejudice  still  sur- 
vives, and  I  have  been  informed  that  it  is  still  resorted  to  on  board 
slavers  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa. 


81. 
E  foi,  que  de  doencja  crua,  &  fea, 
A  mais,  que  eu  nunca  vi,  desanipararao 
Muitos  a  vida,  &  em  terra  estranha,  &  alhea 
Os  ossos  para  sempre  sepultdrao : 
Quern  havera  que  sem  o  ver  o  crea  ? 
Que  tao  disformemente  alii  Ihe  inchfirao 
As  gengivas  na  boca,  que  crecia 
A  came,  &  juntamente  apodrecia. 

82. 
Apodrecia  cum  fetido  &  brute 
Cheiro,  que  o  ar  visinho  inficionava, 
Nao  tinhamos  alli  medico  astuto, 
Cirurgiao  subtil  menos  se  achava  ; 
Mas  qualquer  neste  officio  pouco  instruto 
Pella  came,  ja  podre  assi  cortava, 
Como  se  fora  morta,  &  bem  convinha, 
Pols  que  morto,  ficava  quern  a  tinha. 

79. 
Here  we  careen'd  our  ships,  and  much  the  need 
That  hulls  so  long  afloat,  defiled  and  rough 
With  sordid  slime  and  barnacles  and  weed. 
Should  cast  their  cumbrous  sea-engender'd  slough. 
And  here  the  blameless  Ethiops — hosts  indeed. 
Who  thought  no  kindness  short  of  all  enough — 
Supplied  our  every  want  with  ready  smile  ; 
And  men  they  were  in.  whom  we  found  no  guile. 


DIE    OF    SCURVY.  73 

with  pickaxes  in  a  stone  slab  at  the  entrance  of  this  river, 
and  set  up  a  marble  pillar,  of  which  he  had  brought  many 
for  that  purpose,  which  had  two  escutcheons,  one  of  the 
arms  of  Portugal,  and  another  on  the  other  side,  of  the 
sphere,  and  letters  engraved  in  the  stone  which  said  :  "  Of 
the  lordship  of  Portugal,  kingdom  of  Christians/'^  The 
captain-major,  seeing  how  much  the  seamen  and  masters 
and  pilots  worked,  especially  his  own,  notwithstanding  the 
imprisonment  which  he  had  inflicted  upon  them,  when  he 
was  about  to  quit  this  river  of  Mercy,  made  them  all  come 
to  his  ship,  where  he  addressed  them  all,  beseeching  them 

^  Barros  says  that  after  careening  the  ships — "  With  the  assistance  of 
the  people  of  the  country  he  put  a  landmark  with  the  name  of  San 
Rafael,  of  those  which  he  brought  with  him  for  this  discovery." 


81. 
Disease  assail'd  my  crews, — such  fell  disease, 
And  loathsome,  as  till  then  I  ne'er  beheld — 
Who  would  believe,  that  saw  not,  how  in  these 
The  livid  gums  with  growth  prodigious  swell'd. 
Breathing  infection  that  depraved  the  breeze  ? 
Alas,  how  many  a  gallant  life  was  quell'd. 
How  many  a  proud  and  noble  form  laid  low 
On  yonder  shore,  and  by  so  vile  a  foe  ! 

■  82. 
The  air  was  sicken'd  by  the  noisomeness 
That  reek'd  from  this  malignity  obscure. 
Astute  physician  had  we  none,  still  less 
Chirurgeon  subtle  to  resolve  the  cure ; 
Whoso  applied  him  to  the  task,  by  guess. 
Cut  out,  as  if  'twere  dead,  the  flesh  impure  : 
Not  without  reason,  whatsoe'er  the  skill. 
For  unextirpated,  'twas  sure  to  kill. 

Quillinan. 
Castanheda  gives  a  similar  description  of  the  sickness  and  mortality, 
which  he  says  "  would  have  been  much  greater  had  it  not  been  for  the 
good  disposition  of  Faulo  da  Gama,  who  visited  the  sick  night  and  day, 
and  comforted  and  tended  them,  and  divided  liberally  amongst  them 
those  things  for  the  use  of  the  sick  which  he  had  brought  for  his  own 
use." 


74  THE    MUTINEERS    FORGIVEN. 

not  to  suffer  weakness  to  enter  their  heai'ts^  which  would 
induce  them  to  wish  to  commit  another  such  error,  by 
harbouring  thoughts  of  treason,  which  is  so  hideous  before 
God,  and  always  brings  a  bad  end  to  those  who  engage  in 
it :  he  said  that  he  well  saw  that  faintheartedness  was  the 
cause  of  what  had  passed,  and  that  he  forgave  all.  /  And 
that  since  the  Lord  had  been  pleased  to  deliver  them  from 
so  many  dangers  as  they  had  passed  up  to  that  time,  by 
His  great  mercy,  therefore  they  should  put  their  trust  in 
Him,  who  would  conduct  them  in  such  manner  as  to  obtain 
the  result  which  they  were  going  in  search  of;  by  which 
they  would  gain  such  great  honours  and  favours  as  the 
king  would  grant  them  on  their  return  to  Portugal ;  and  he 
would  present  them  to  the  king,  and  would  relate  their 
great  labours  and  services,  and  that  they  ought  to  bear  in 
remembrance  these  great  advantages,  which  would  be  such 
a  cause  of  rejoicing  for  all  of  them.  They,  with  tears  of 
joy,  all  answered,  Amen,  Amen,  may  the  Lord  so  will  it  of 
His  great  mercy.  And  they  weighed  anchors  and  went 
out  of  the  river  with  a  land  breeze.^ 

•  Barros  says  they  left  the  river  where  they  careened  the  ships,  and 
which  he  names  de  Bona  Sinaes,  on  the  24th  of  February,  1498,  and  he 
says  they  met  here  with  two  great  dangers ;  one  was  that  Vasco  da 
Gama  was  in  a  small  boat  with  two  sailors  speaking  to  his  brother  on 
board  his  ship,  and  holding  on  to  the  main  chains,  when  the  water  fell 
so  suddenly  that  it  carried  away  the  boat  from  under  them,  and  he  and 
the  sailors  only  escaped  by  holding  fast  to  the  chains  until  they  came 
to  their  assistance.  The  other  danger  happened  to  this  same  ship  the 
day  it  went  out  of  the  river ;  crossing  the  bar  it  stuck  on  a  sandbank, 
and  was  likely  to  remain  for  ever,  but  the  tide  rising  it  escaped  the 
danger.  Castanheda,  Osorio,  and  Goes  say  Gama  left  this  river  on  Satur- 
day, 24th  of  February,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  Thursday  the  1st  of  March 
they  saw  the  four  islands  of  Mozambique. 


VOYAGE    TO    MOZAMBIQUE.  75 


CHAPTER  XL 

How  the  two  ships  left  the  river  of  Mercy,  and  ran  along  the  coast  to 
Mozambique,  and  of  what  they  found  and  did  before  they  arrived 
there. 

Vasco  da  Gama  made  that  caressing  speech  to  the  crews 
from  apprehension  that  some  of  them  might  run  away  on 
finding  some  country  with  which  they  might  be  satisfied,  in 
which  case  it  would  be  the  most  certain  perdition  that 
might  be.  And  he  was  fearful  of  the  vagabonds  whom  he 
brought  with  him,  because  he  had  begged  the  king  to  order 
some  men  who  had  been  condemned  to  death  to  be  given 
to  him,  in  order  to  risk  them  in  sending  them  ashore  in 
certain  countries  of  doubtful  safety;  in  which  also,  and 
wherever  it  was  expedient,  he  would  leave  them,  as  he 
might  greatly  benefit  by  what  they  learned  when  he  foimd 
them  later.  The  king  had  highly  approved  of  this,  and 
had  commanded  to  put  six  such  men  on  board  each  ship,  of 
whom  some  w,ere  already  dead.  Then,  with  the  favourable 
wind  whicji'  they  had,  and  the  ships  well  repaired,  they 
sailed  with  much  satisfaction  along  the  coast,  with  a  good 
look-out  by  day  and  night.  Running  in  this  manner,  they 
sighted  a  sail,  which  was  making  from  the  sea  to  the  land : 
at  which  they  felt  great  satisfaction,  and  gave  great  thanks 
to  the  Lord  for  having  brought  them  into  a  region  of  navi- 
gation. The  ships  at  once  made  after  the  sail,  which,  on 
seeing  our  ships,  fled  to  seawards,  and  our  people  lost  sight 
of  it  at  night,  at  which  they  were  very  sad,  and  continued 
on  their  course  as  they  saw  it  no  more.  Running  along 
the  coast,  as  close  in  to  land  as  they  could,  on  passing 
a  point  they  saw  a  large  creek,  and  then  alongside  the 
point  they  saw  a  zambuk  at  anchor.     Vasco  da  Gama,  on 


76  VOYAGE    TO    MOZAMBIQUE. 

seeing  it,  hove  to,  and  quickly  ordered  men  to  go  in 
a  boat  with  sails  and  oars  after  a  canoe  which  was  leav- 
ing the  zarabuk  and  escaping  to  shore.  They  soon  over- 
took it,  upon  which  six  cafres  who  were  in  it  threw  them- 
selves into  the  sea,  and  there  remained  in  it  one  Moor, 
who  did  not  take  to  flight  because  he  could  not  swim  :  he 
was  dressed  in  a  shirt  of  white  stuff,  with  a  silk  girdle,  and 
a  coloured  cloth  folded  on  his  shoulders,  with  which  he 
I  covered  himself,  and  on  his  head  a  round  cap,  which  did 
I  not  cover  his  ears,  made  of  many  squares  of  silk  of  various 
1  colours  sewn  with  gold  thread,  and  small  gold  rings  in  his 
ears.  Our  men  took  him  into  their  boat  and  went  to  the 
zambuk,  and  found  nothing,  because  the  Moor  had  got  to 
freight  it  and  embark  in  it  much  property  which  be  had  on 
shore,  in  the  possession  of  a  great  merchant,  of  whom  this 
Moor  was  the  agent.  So  they  returned  to  the  ship  with 
great  satisfaction  at  having  found  a  man  of  whom  they  could 
ask  questions  and  learn  in  what  country  they  were ;  and  at 
once  they  set  sail  and  went  their  way.  The  Moor  was  well 
entertained,  but  in  speaking  to  him  no  one  understood 
hira,  for  there  was  no  other  interpreter  than  an  African 
slave,^  who  spoke  Arabic  to  him,  of  which  the  Moor  under- 
stood few  words.  He  told  us  by  signs  that  further  on 
there  were  people  who  knew  that  speech.      The  captain- 

'  Barros  says  there  was  a  sailor  named  Fernan  Martins  who  spoke 
Arabic  to  some  of  the  Negroes  who  understood  it  at  the  river  of  Bons 
Sinaes,  some  of  whom  were  less  dark  than  the  others,  and  seemed  to  be 
of  mixed  Arab  blood. 

Camoens,  Canto  v,  76. 

Ethiopes  sao  todos,  mae  parece, 

Que  com  gente  melhor  commuuicavao, 

Palavra  alguma  Arabia  se  conhece, 

Entre  a  linguagem  sua,  que  fallavao  : 

E  com  pano  delgado,  que  se  tece 

De  algodao,  as  cabe^as  apertavao, 

Com  outro,  que  de  tinta  azul  se  tinge, 

Cada  hum  as  vergonhosas  partes  cinge. 


GAMA    MEETS    WITH    VESSELS.  77 

major  ordered  them  to  give  him  to  eat  cakes  of  sugar  and 
oliveSj  and  to  give  him  wine.  He  ate  of  everything,  but 
would  not  drink  the  wine.  Then  Vasco  da  Gama  gave 
him  a  long  robe  to  cover  him,  and  he  was  like  one  amazed 
looking  at  what  he  had  never  seen  before.     The  captain- 

77. 
Pella  Arabica  lingua,  que  mal  fallao, 
E  que  Fernao  Martinz  mui  bem  entende, 
Nos  dizem,  que  por  naos,  que  estas  igualao 
Na  grandeza,  o  seu  mar  se  corta,  &  fende  : 
Mas  que  Ik  donde  sae  o  sol  se  abalao 
Para  onde  a  costa  ao  sul  se  alarga,  &  estende, 
E  do  sul  para  o  sol,  terra  onde  havia 
Gente  assi  como  nos  da  cor  do  dia. 

78. 
Mui  grandemente  aqui  nos  alegramos, 
Co  a  gente,  &  co  as  novas  muito  mais, 
Pellos  sinaes,  que  neste  rio  achamos, 
O  nome  Ihe  ficou  dos  bons  sinais  : 
Hum  padrao  nesta  terra  levantamos, 
(Que  para  assinalar  lugares  tais 
Trazia  alguns)  o  nome  tem  do  bello 
Guiador  de  Tobias  a  (Jabello. 

Canto  v,  76. 
All  Ethiopians  are  they,  but  it  seems 
That  they  commune  with  some  superior  race  ; 
For  in  their  speech  intelligible  gleams 
Of  meaning,  phrases  Arabic,  we  trace ; 
The  snow-white  turban  on  the  brow  redeems 
The  wild  expression  of  the  Caffre  face ; 
A  light  blue  kilt  that  half  invests  the  frame 
Bespeaks  them  civilised  to  sense  of  shame. 

77. 
In  tongue  Arabian,  which  though  ill  they  speak, 
Yet  well  interprets  Fernan  Martinez, 
They  say  that  ships  as  long  from  stern  to  beak 
As  ours,  are  wont  to  navigate  their  seas ; 
That  they  go  forth  from  eastern  shores  to  seek 
The  coasts  that  southward  broaden,  and  from  these 
Back  towards  the  birthplace  of  the  sun  they  sail 
Unto  a  land  of  men,  like  us,  of  feature  pale. 


.^ 


V 

78  GAMA    OBTAINS    NEWS    OF    INDIA 

major  felt  great  satisfaction  in  his  heart  with  this  Moor 
whom  they  had  brought,  and  by  his  demeanour  he  seemed 
to  be  an  honourable  man,  and  he  made  him  welcome,  and 
ordered  them  to  give  him  very  good  food ;  and  speaking 
to  him  by  means  of  signs,  he  showed  him  spices,  and  the 
Moor  said  that  he  would  fill  his  ships  with  them.  The 
Moor,  as  indeed  he  was  a  broker,  and  gained  his  livelihood 
thereby,  soon  desired  to  make  himself  broker  of  our  people, 
because  by  loading  our  ships  he  would  make  much  profit ; 
and  he  would  form  good  friendship  with  our  people  and  pro- 
vide for  them^  and  conduct  them  to  Cambay,  of  which  he 
was  a  native,  where  he  would  make  much  profit :  and  with 
these  reflections  he  showed  much  satisfaction  at  going  with 
them.  Navigating  thus  for  some  days,  they  came  in  sight 
of  the  shoals  and  bank  of  Sofala,  and  the  Moor  by  signs 
had  told  them  to  be  on  the  watch  for  them ;  and  the 
captain-major  rejoiced  greatly  at  finding  that  truth  and 
sincenty  in  the  Moor :  and  they  stood  out  to  sea  until  they 
had  passed  them,  and  they  did  not  see  the  river  of  Sofala, 
for  it  seems  they  passed  it  by  night,  although  the  Moor 
tried  to  tell  them  with  his  signs,  and  they  did  not  under- 
stand. Having  passed  the  bank  they  returned  towards  the 
shore,  continuing  their  voyage ;  and  going  on  thus  they 
sighted  a  sail  ahead,  which  was  also  going  along  the  coast, 
at  which  all  were  much  pleased.  Then  the  captain-major 
edged  out  to  sea,  so  that  the  sail  might  not  escape  in  that 

78. 
Our  new-found  friends  rejoiced  us  much  ;  yet  more 
Their  news :  the  stream  of  augury  so  fair, 
We  named  the  river  of  Good  Signs  ;  the  shore 
Demanded  our  commemorative  care, 
And  of  memorials  that  from  home  we  bore 
For  special  landmarks,  one  we  planted  there, 
Calling  it  after  that  Angelic  Guide 
Who  led  Tobias  to  his  unknown  bride. 

QidUlnan. 


FROM    A    MOOR    OF    CAMBAY.  79 

direction.  That  ship  did  not  alter  its  course,  and  our 
people  soon  overhauled  it,  and  hove  to  and  sent  a  boat  to 
it,  into  which  two  cafres  entered,  whom  they  brought  to 
the  captain-major,  at  which  the  Moor  rejoiced,  for  they 
were  from  Mozambique :  with  these  men  they  obtained 
speech  by  means  of  a  cafre  of  Guine,  who  was  with  Paulo 
da  Gama,  and  the  boat  went  to  fetch  him,  and  brought  him, 
and  he  spoke  with  the  cafres,  and  they  understood  each 
other  well,  at  which  there  was  much  satisfaction.^  The 
sambuk  was  laden  with  pigeons'  dung,  which  there  was  in 
some  islands,  and  they  were  transporting  it,  as  it  was  mer- 
chandise in  Cambay  with  which  they  dyed  stuffs.  The 
captain-major  ordered  them  to  give  biscuit  and  salt  fish  and 
wine  to  the  cafres,  which  they  eat  and  drank  with  much 
pleasure.  Then  the  Moor,  by  the  speech  of  the  cafre,  and 
with  the  two  cafres  whom  he  communicated  with  in  another 
language,  said  to  the  captain-major  that  further  on  they 
would  find  a  place  in  which  there  were  many  people  and 
much  trade,  where  he  would  conduct  them,  and  give  them 
all  that  they  required,  because  his  oflBce  was  to  be  a  broker, 
and  he  knew  about  all  sorts  of  merchandise,  and  would  take 
him  to  his  country,  Cambay,  where  he  would  load  the  ships 
with  as  much  drugs  and  spices  as  they  desired;  for  Cambay 
was  a  very  rich  country,  and  the  greatest  kingdom  in  the 
world.  To  which  the  captain-major  replied  with  many 
thanks,  and  swore  to  him  by  the  life  of  the  king  his  sove- 
reign that  he  would  so  well  pay  him  for  his  work  that  he 
should  for  ever  esteem  himself  very  fortunate  in  having 
come  into  his  company.  Then  the  Moor  told  him  to  order 
a  good  look  out  to  be  kept  upon  the  sambuk,  which  would 
guide  them  by  a  safe  road  amongst  the  many  shoals  there 
were,  because  it  always  sailed  in  those  parts,  and  knew 

>  This,  and  other  passages  of  the  early  Portuguese  -writers,  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  language   of   Congo   formerly    extended    from    the  i 
Atlantic  to  the  Indian  Ocean.  ' 


80  ARRIVAL   AT    MOZAMBIQUE. 

them  all.  This  seemed  good  to  the  captain -major,  and  he 
ordered  four  of  his  men  to  go  in  the  sarabuk,  and  six  of 
the  cafres  to  be  brought  to  the  ship,  and  ordered  them  to 
keep  a  strict  watch  by  night,  and  if  they  saw  any  shoals,  to 
point  them  out  to  the  cafres,  and  that  they  should  let 
themselves  be  guided  wherever  they  chose ;  and  that  they 
should  always  show  a  light  with  the  lantern  which  was 
given  them.  With  this  order  they  navigated  astern  of  the 
sambuk,  which  carried  sails  of  matting,  with  which  it 
sailed  more  than  the  ships.  Thus  they  navigated  more 
than  twenty  days,  when  they  arrived  at  Mozambique,  which 
was  at  the  end  of  March  of  1498.^ 


CHAPTER    XII. 

How  the  ships  arrived  at  Mozambique,  and  what  happened  to  them 
there. 

On  arriving  at  Mozambique,  which  is  subject  to  the  King 
of  Quiloa,  they  came  to  three  islands,  which  are  outside  of 
it ;  Vasco  da  Gama  sent  his  pilot  in  a  boat  to  follow  the 
sambuk  and  take  soundings  of  the  entrance  of  the  port : 
and  taking  in  the  large  sails,  they  entered  the  port  under 
foresails  and  mizens,  astern  of  the  sambuk ;  there  they 
found  a  good  bottom  and  the  roadstead  sheltered  from  the 
sea  winds."     They  saw   on  shore  a  large  town  of  houses 

'  Barros  says  that  they  arrived  at  Mozambique  in  five  days  from  the 
river  of  Bons  Sinaes,  which  they  left  on  the  24th  of  February.  Castan- 
heda  and  Goes  give  the  same  time ;  Castanheda  says  Coelho  saw  the 
Sambuks  on  the  2nd  of  March,  the  day  after  they  sighted  tlie  Mozam- 
bique islands. 

2  Barros  gives  a  rather  different  account :  he  says  the  Portuguese 
anchored  at  some  islands  more  than  a  league  out  at  sea,  at  one  of  them 
which  was  named  S.  Jorge  from  a  landmark  which  Vasco  da  Gama  set 
up  there.     The  sheikh,  he  says,  was  named  Zacocja ;  and  a  Moor  who 


ARRIVAL   AT    MOZAMBIQUE.  81 

covered  with  thatch ;  so  that  our  men  gave  great  thanks  to 
the  Lord  for  having  brought  them  into  port  where  they 

came  off  to  inquire  who  were  the  Portuguese,  was  (as  was  known  later) 
of  the  kingdom  of  Fez.  During  ten  days  that  Da  Gama  was  at  S.  Jorge 
he  establislied  peace  with  the  sheikh,  and  set  up  the  landmark  in  sign  of 
it,  and  said  mass  on  the  island,  as  it  was  Lent.  During  this  time  there 
came,  among  the  Moors  who  brought  provisions,  three  Abyssinians  of 
the  country  of  Prester  John ;  these,  on  seeing  the  image  of  the  angel 
Gabriel  painted  on  the  ship  of  that  name,  as  they  were  accustomed  to 
images  of  the  angels  in  their  own  churches,  knelt  down  and  worshipped. 
When  the  captain-major  knew  that  they  were  Abyssinians,  he  ques- 
tioned them  through  the  interpreter  Fernan  Martins.  The  Moors,  who 
saw  how  pleased  the  captain  was  to  speak  to  them,  got  them  away 
quickly,  and  hid  them  away  so  that  Da  Gama  could  not  see  them  again. 
The  sheikh  then  sent  two  pilots,  with  whom  the  captain-major  was 
satisfied,  and  agreed  to  give  them  each  thirty  mithcals  of  gold,  weight 
of  the  country,  which  might  be  about  fourteen  thousand  of  our  reis,  and 
besides  a  scarlet  jacket.  Two  days  after  this  agreement.  Da  Gama  sent 
two  boats  to  fetch  wood  and  water,  which  the  negroes  of  the  country 
used  to  bring  to  the  beach  for  a  reward :  while  they  were  taking  this  in, 
suddenly  seven  sambuks  full  of  people  armed  in  their  fashion  came  to 
them,  and  with  shouts  began  to  discharge  arrows,  which  the  Portuguese 
returned  with  crossbows  and  musketry.  With  this  breach  of  the  peace  no 
more  boats  came  to  the  ships.  (Barros  says  nothing  of  the  visit  of  the 
sheikh  to  the  ships  described  by  Correa,  Osorio  mentions  it ;  and 
Camoens  follows  Osorio  in  his  description  of  the  visit,  in  Canto  i,  59- 
72).  After  this  skirmish  Vasco  da  Gama  weighed  from  the  posi- 
tion he  had  taken  before  the  town,  and  went  on  Sunday,  March  11, 
to  S.  Jorge  Island  (Damian  de  Goes  and  Castanheda  say  on  Tuesday 
the  13th),  and,  after  hearing  mass,  sailed  for  India,  taking  one  of 
the  pilots,  as  the  other  was  on  shore  at  the  time  of  the  rupture.  But, 
on  account  of  the  strong  currents,  at  the  end  of  four  days'  navigation, 
they  found  themselves  four  or  five  leagues  on  this  side  of  Mozambique. 
Vasco  da  Gama,  seeing  that  he  must  wait  for  a  more  favourable  wind 
to  force  his  way  against  the  currents,  which  change,  according  to  the 
Moorish  pilot,  would  be  with  the  next  new  moon,  went  to  anchor  at  the 
island  S.  Jorge  (Castanheda  says  he  returned  there  on  Thursday  the 
14th),  from  which  he  would  depart  without  communicating  with  Mozam- 
bique. But  as  the  water  was  getting  short,  and  six  or  seven  days  had 
passed  since  he  arrived,  by  the  advice  of  the  Moorish  pUot,  who  said  he 
could  take  the  people  at  night  to  a  watering  place,  he  sent  with  him 
two  armed  boats.  Either  that  the  Moor  wished  to  escape  from  the 
Portuguese  by  taking  many  turns  about  the  coast,  or  that  really  he 


82  ACCOUNT  BY  BARROS  AND  OTHERS 

could  now  see  houses  and  people.     Having   thus  arrived, 
the  captain-major  went  to  his  brother's  ship  to  tell  him  to 

became  confused  from  its  being  night,  in  a  thicket  of  mangroves,  he 
never  could  find  the  wells  he  had  spoken  of ;  which  obliged  Da  Gama 
to  send  two  well  armed  boats  to  fetch  water  in  spite  of  the  negroes  who 
came  to  prevent  their  taking  water.  And  as  the  Moorish  pilot  and  a 
negro  ship-boy  ran  away  during  this  expedition,  next  day  Vasco  da 
Gama  went  in  arms  before  the  town,  where  two  thousand  men  were 
drawn  up  on  the  beach :  Vasco  da  Gama  made  a  signal  of  peace,  and 
the  Moor  who  went  with  messages  came  up,  when  Da  Gama  complained 
of  what  they  had  done,  and  demanded  that  the  negro  who  had  run 
away  should  be  given  up,  and  also  the  pilots,  who  had  received  pay  for 
this  navigation,  and  that  he  would  be  satisfied  with  that.  The  Moor 
said  he  would  come  back  with  the  answer,  which  was  that  the  sheikh 
was  much  scandalised  at  the  Portuguese  because,  when  the  negroes  had 
wished  to  play  with  them  in  a  festival  manner,  according  to  their 
custom,  at  the  time  when  they  went  to  fetch  water,  the  Portuguese  had 
attacked  them,  killing  and  wounding  some,  and  that  they  had  sunk  a 
sambuk  with  its  goods  ;  that  as  to  the  pilots,  he  knew  nothing  of  them, 
as  they  were  foreigners,  and  if  they  owed  Da  Gama  anything,  he  might 
send  on  shore  to  seek  for  them  ;  that  for  him  it  was  enough  that  he  had 
sent  them  already  once,  and  that  at  a  time  when  he  seemed  with  his 
men  to  be  safe  people  who  spoke  truth,  but  that  at  present  he  under- 
stood that  they  were  vagabonds  who  went  about  plundering  seaports. 
At  the  end  of  these  words,  without  waiting  for  a  further  answer,  the 
Moor  went  back  to  the  sheikh ;  and  a  shout  arose  on  shore,  and  they 
began  to  rain  arrows,  and  boats  approached  to  do  better  execution ;  as 
they  had  not  yet  experienced  the  fury  of  our  artillery,  and  with  the 
first  shots,  which  Da  Gama  ordered  to  be  fired,  he  so  chastised  them, 
that  they  passed  over  behind  the  island  to  the  mainland,  and  in  that 
channel  the  Portuguese  took  a  sambuk,  all  the  crew  of  which,  except  an 
old  Moor  and  two  negroes,  escaped.  When  the  town  was  thus  aban- 
doned, though  Da  Gama  mightTiave  burned  it,  as  it  was  his  intention 
to  frighten  them  so  as  to  get  the  pilots,  he  would  do  no  more  injury 
that  time,  and  four  or  five  men  had  been  laid  dead  at  the  feet  of  the 
sheikh  by  the  artillery,  which  was  the  cause  of  their  having  run  away. 
Returning  to  the  ships,  Da  Gama  learned,  by  questions  put  to  the 
Moor  with  torture,  the  cause  of  their  running  away,  and  also  about  the 
gold  trade  with  Sofala,  and  that  from  there  to  Calecut  was  a  month's 
voyage,  as  he  had  heard  say.  On  hearing  this.  Da  Gama  was  much 
pleased,  as  this  was  the  most  positive  news  he  had  yet  heard,  and  before 
the  sheikh  could  guard  the  wells,  he  sent  boats  that  night  for  water, 
with  the  Moorish  prisoner,  and  they  returned  when  it  was  already  day- 


OF   DEALINGS   WITH    MOZAMBIQUE.  83 

enter  the  port  with  the  standard  at  his  peak,  which  he 
accordingly  did  :  they  there  conversed,  and  Vasco  da  Gama 
gave  him  an  account  of  the  good  words  he  had  heard  from 
the  Moor,  and  all  that  he  had  told  him.  He  then  bade 
them  take  the  cafres  to  the  sambuk,  and  they  went  away 
much  pleased  with  pieces  of  white  stuff  which  were  given 
them,   and   they   brought   back   the   sailors  who  were  on 

light.  The  sheikh  feared  that  if  he  refused  what  the  Portuguese  de- 
manded, they  would  come  and  burn  his  town  and  vessels,  and  he  sent 
next  day  to  ask  for  peace  from  Vasco  da  Gama :  and  as  to  the  pilots 
who  had  lighted  up  this  fire,  one  of  them  had  fled  to  the  interior,  fear- 
ing the  punishment  that  might  be  given  him,  and  the  other  was  chas- 
tised -for  ever,  as  he  had  been  killed  by  the  artillery ;  that  the  jackets 
and  what  else  they  had,  had  been  taken  from  their  wives,  and  he  sent 
these  things  herewith  to  Da  Gama,  and  instead  of  those  men  another 
pilot,  who  would  serve  him  better.  Vasco  da  Gama  seeing  there  was 
not  much  time  for  negotiation,  and  that  a  pilot  suited  him  better  than 
any  other  amends,  accepted  the  pilot  with  suitable  words,  and  ordered 
the  jackets  and  other  goods  to  be  taken  back  to  the  sheikh  to  do  what 
he  pleased  with :  and  he  set  at  hberty  the  Moor  and  negroes  of  the 
country,  clothed  to  their  satisfaction.  The  following  day  he  went  back 
to  the  island  of  S.  Jorge,  where  he  remained  three  days  waiting  for 
weather  until  the  1st  of  April,  when  he  left,  taking  with  him  rather  a 
mortal  enemy  than  a  pilot.  For  he,  either  from  the  hatred  he  felt  for 
us,  or  because  the  sheikh  had  so  commanded  him,  brought  the  ships 
amongst  some  small  islands,  saying  they  were  a  point  of  the  mainland. 
For  which  lie  he  was  well  flogged,  from  which  the  islands  retained  the 
name  of  Islands  of  the  Azoutado,  which  they  now  bear  among  our 
people:  they  may  be  about  sixty  leagues  beyond  Mozambique.  Castan- 
heda  also  names  the  1st  of  April  as  the  date  of  the  final  departure  from 
Mozambique.  Castanheda's  account  is  the  most  unfavourable  to  the  con- 
duct of  the  Portuguese,  for  he  describes  them  as  opening  fire  with 
cannon  on  the  people  in  the  Mozambique  boats  when,  on  the  first 
arrival  of  the  Portuguese,  they  were  making  signs  to  them  to  come  into 
the  port :  he  then  relates  a  fight  at  the  watering  place,  and  after  that 
two  bombardments  of  the  town,  one  on  the  25th,  Sunday,  and  another 
on  the  26th,  Monday ;  on  the  27th  they  went  back  to  the  island  of  S. 
Jorge.  Camoens  describes  the  skirmish  at  the  watering  place  and  sub- 
sequent hostilities.  Canto  i,  84-95,  much  in  the  same  manner  as  Barros; 
Osorio  mentions  the  affray  with  the  seven  sambuks,  but  says  nothing  of 
any  further  hostihties. 


84  TRADE    OF    80FALA   AND    MOZAMBIQUE. 

board  the  sambuk.  The  cafres  went  to  the  shore,  •where 
many  people  collected  on  the  beach  to  question  them,  and 
in  a  short  time  they  returned  to  the  ship  in  a  canoe,  with 
cocoa-nuts  and  two  hens,  which  they  gave  to  the  captain- 
major,  and  begged  of  him  some  biscuit  and  wine  to  take 
on  shore,  which  he  ordered  to  be  given  them,  and  they  re- 
turned ashore  well  satisfied.  Then  they  spoke  to  the  Moor, 
whose  name  was  Davand,  and  gave  him  a  scarlet  cap  and 
a  string  of  small  coral  beads,  and  told  him  to  go  on  shore, 
and  assist  them  as  foreign  men  who  came  as  wanderers 
from  a  very  distant  country.  The  Moor  went  ashore,  and 
Nicolas  Coelho  carried  him  in  his  boat,  which  went  until  he 
jumped  into  the  water,  and  then  returned  to  the  ship.  The 
Moor  was  surrounded  by  very  many  people,  and  so  he  went 
to  the  house  -of  the  Sheikh,  who  is  the  captain  of  the 
country  on  behalf  of  the  King  of  Quiloa,  and  who  was  in 
this  town  as  agent  collecting  the  duties  from  the  merchant 
ships,  which  are  many  in  number,  and  come  from  many 
countries,  with  much  goods  of  various  kinds  which  they 
trade  with  in  this  town  of  Mozambique,  and  they  pay  large 
duties ;  and  with  these  goods  they  go  along  the  coast,  and 
up  many  rivers  which  they  find,  in  which  they  eff'ect  much 
barter  of  silver  and  gold,  ivory  and  wax ;  especially  in 
Sofala,  where  they  carry  on  extensive  barter  of  the  gold 
which  is  in  that  country,  in  which  these  merchants  trade; 
and  they  are  almost  all  of  them  Moors,  and  being  thus 
traders,  on  account  of  their  extensive  commerce  they  re- 
main like  natives  of  the  country ;  and  the  greater  number 
of  the  kings  and  rulers  of  all  these  countries  are  Moors  of 
the  sect  of  Mahomed.  The  Moor,  on  speaking  to  the 
Sheikh,  gave  him  an  account  of  all  that  had  happened  to 
him  with  our  people  up  to  that  time,  and  that  they  were 
making  their  voyage  to  Cambay  to  ship  pepper  and  drugs. 
The  Sheikh  inquired  much  of  him  as  to  whether  our  men 
were  Turks,  because  he  know  that  they  were  white  men. 


VISIT   OF   THE    SHEIKH    OF    MOZAMBIQUE.  85 

and  that  they  had  ships  of  another  fashion,  and  not  hke 
those  of  India.  The  Moor  assured  him  that  they  were  not 
Moors,  and  that  it  was  asserted  that  they  were  Christians. 
This  the  Sheikh  did  not  rely  upon,  and  he  desired  to  visit 
our  people  in  person,  and  told  the  Moor  to  return  to  the 
captains  and  ask  them  if  they  were  willing  that  he  should 
come  to  see  them  :  and  he  sent  them  fowls  and  cocoa-nuts, 
and  figs,  and  a  sheep.  The  Moor  had  there  a  pagan, 
a  native  of  the  country,  whom  he  knew  from  the  many  times 
that  he  came  to  Mozambique,  and  he  used  to  lodge  in  his 
house,  and  this  man  had  a  boy  who  spoke  very  well  the 
language  of  the  Cafres,  who  are  the  natives  of  the  country, 
and  he  took  this  boy  with  him  to  the  ship  to  interpret. 
And  with  these  delays  he  did  not  return  to  the  ship  till 
late,  when  the  captains  rejoiced  very  much  on  seeing  him 
come  back  with  refreshments,  which  was  a  proof  of  good 
faith.  On  speaking  with  him,  and  hearing  the  message  of 
the  Sheikh,  they  were  much  pleased,  since  the  principal 
reason  of  their  coming  was  to  discover  new  countries,  and 
establish  good  terms  of  peace  and  amity.  Therefore  they 
told  the  Moor  that  they  would  be  very  glad  to  see  the 
Sheikh,  because  they  were  men  who  were  going  about  as 
lost  amongst  countries  which  they  did  not  know,  and  that 
they  would  be  glad  to  hold  friendship  and  peace  with  all 
peoples,  and  to  buy  and  sell  whatever  might  satisfy  them ; 
and  that  the  principal  article  which  they  would  desire  to 
buy  was  drugs,  which  were  a  merchandise  which  would  not 
spoil  however  much  it  remained  at  sea.  Upon  which  the 
Moor  Davane  returned  next  day  to  the  Sheikh.  He,  on 
hearing  the  reply  of  our  people,  was  pleased,  as  also  with 
the  further  information  which  the  Moor  related  to  him.  In 
the  afternoon  the  Sheikh  came  to  the  ship  in  two  canoes 
lashed  together,  and  upon  them  poles  and  planks,  covered 
over  with  mats  which  gave  shade  :  in  this  came  ten  Moors 
sitting  down,  and  the  Sheikh  sitting  on  a  low  round  stool. 


^/ 


86  CONVERSATION    WITK 

covered  with  a  silk  cloth,  and  a  cushion  on  which  he  sat ; 
he  was  a  dark  man,  well-made,  and  of  good  presence,  and 
was  dressed  in  a  jacket  of  Mekkah  velvet  with  many  plaits, 
and  a  blue  cloth  with  braid  and  gold  thread,  wrapped 
round  him,  which  covered  him  to  the  knees,  and  drawers  of 
white  stuff  down  to  the  ankles,  and  the  body  bare ;  above 
the  cloth  wrapped  round  him  was  a  silk  sash,  in  which  he 
wore  a  dagger  mounted  with  silver,  and  in  his  hand  a 
sword,  also  mounted  with  silver.  On  his  head  he  wore 
a  turban  of  silk  stuff  of  many  colours,  with  braid  and 
fringes  of  gold  thread,  wrapped  round  a  dark  coloured 
skull-cap  of  Mekkah  velvet.  The  Moors  who  came  with 
him  were  dressed  in  the  same  fashion ;  they  were  fair  men, 
and  dark  men,  and  others  swarthy,  because  they  were  sons 
of  Cafre  women  of  the  country  and  white  Moorish  mer- 
chants who  since  a  long  time  have  established  their  com- 
merce throughout  all  the  countries  of  India,  so  that  they 
have  remained  as  natives.  The  captains  dressed  themselves, 
and  placed  chairs  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  a  bench  with 
a  carpet  on  it  for  the  Moors  to  sit  upon  :  and  when  they 
arrived  at  the  ship  they  sounded  the  trumpets  for  them, 
and  they  were  much  pleased  to  hear  them.  When  the 
Sheikh  entered,  many  of  the  sailors  assisted  him  to  ascend 
on  board,  and  the  captains  received  him  at  the  entrance 
of  the  quarter-deck  with  great  salutations.  The  Moorish 
Sheikh  took  the  right  hand  of  Paulo  da  Gama  and  pressed 
it  between  both  of  his,  and  raised  it  to  his  breast,  which  is 
■^V  9-  rnark  of  great  courtesy,  and  they  sat  down  on  the  chairs, 
<^  the  Sheikh  in  the  middle,  and  the  Moors  on  the  bench. 
The  Moor  Davan^  was  standing,  and  with  his  interpreter 
spoke  what  was  said.  The  Sheikh  was  looking  all  round,  see- 
ing things  which  he  had  never  seen,  and  said  that  he  was 
very  fortunate  that  they  had  come  to  his  port,  and  that  he 
would  be  happy  to  do  for  them  all  that  they  required  on 
account  of  the  great  pleasure  which  he  felt  in  seeing  that 


THE    SHEIKH    OF    MOZAMBIQUE.  87 

wliich  lie  had  never  seen  before,  and  as  they  were  foreign 
merchants  he  should  be  very  glad  to  know  from  what 
country  they  were,  and  what  they  had  come  in  search  of. 
Vasco  da  Gama,  taking  off  his  cap  and  making  a  bow  to 
his  brother,  as  though  he  begged  his  leave  to  speak,  re- 
plied that  they  were  from  another  country,  and  servants  of 
the  greatest  king  of  Christians  that  existed  in  the  world, 
and  they  had  set  out  in  a  great  fleet,  which  his  King  had 
sent  to  another  country  to  seek  for  merchandise,  such  as  he 
would  show  him,  and  whilst  proceediug  on  their  voyage 
they  had  separated  from  their  companions  in  a  storm,  and 
two  years  had  passed  that  they  were  going  about  the  sea  as 
lost  men,  for  their  pilots  did  not  know  that  land  to  which 
they  were  going  for  cargo.  The  Sheikh  said  :  "  And  if  you 
do  not  find  that  country  what  will  you  do  V  They  replied 
that  they  would  go  about  the  sea  until  they  died,  because 
if  they  returned  before  their  King  without  bringing  him 
what  they  had  come  to  seek,  he  would  cut  off  their  heads. 
The  Sheikh  told  them  to  show  him  the  merchandise  which 
they  were  going  in  search  of.  Then  they  showed  him 
pepper,  cinnamon,  and  ginger.  The  Sheikh,  on  seeing  it, 
laughed  to  his  own  people,  and  answered  that  they  should 
be  satisfied,  since  he  would  give  them  pilots  who  would 
conduct  them  whither  they  could  fill  their  ships  as  much  as 
they  pleased ;  but  what  merchandise  did  they  bring  for  the 
purchase  of  what  they  wanted.  Vasco  da  Gama  replied 
that  the  merchandise  went  in  the  other  ships,  but  that  they 
had  gold  and  silver  for  buying  and  selling.  The  Slieikh 
said  that  with  gold  and  silver  they  would  obtain  what  they 
sought  aU  over  the  world :  and  he  asked  him  to  order  the 
trumpets  to  sound,  as  they  very  much  liked  to  hear  them ; 
and  thus  he  took  leave  of  him,  saying  that  he  would  at 
once  send  him  the  pilots  who  would  serve  him  well ;  upon 
which  they  separated  with  many  courtesies  and  salutations. 
The  Moor  Davane  remained  on  board ;  then  the  captain- 


88  DEALINGS    OF    THE    PORTUGUESE 

major  gave  him  a  present  to  carry  to  the  Sheikh^  five  ells  of 
fine  scarlet  cloth,  and  five  of  satin,  and  two  scarlet  caps, 
four  sheaths  of  knives  made  in  Flanders,  very  handsome,  and 
a  mirror ;  and  he  also  bade  him  beg  pardon  for  the  present 
not  being  as  much  as  he  would  have  desired  it  to  have 
been.  And  he  sent  twenty  cruzados  in  gold  and  twenty 
testoons  in  silver  for  the  malemos^  who  were  the  pilots,  for 
of  those  coins  he  would  give  each  month  whatever  he  should 
direct.  The  Moor  Davane  remained  amazed  when  he  heard 
the  things  which  our  people  said,  and  was  filled  with  a  great 
desire  never  to  separate  from  our  men  untiP  they  should 
return  to  their  own  country.  Then  he  went  on  shore  with 
the  present,  which  he  gave  to  the  sheikh,  who  was  much 
pleased  with  it  J  and  he  told  the  sheikh  that  the  captain- 
major  besought  him  very  much  to  send  him  pilots ;  in 
which  matter  the  sheikh  showed  good  will  and  readiness, 
and  found  them  and  spoke  with  them,  arranging  that  each 
of  them  should  be  paid  four  cruzados  of  gold,  and  should 
have  good  quarters  in  which  to  carry  his  provisions ;  on 
which  account  half  the  money,  two  cruzados  and  two  tes- 
toons, were  given  at  once  to  each  of  the  pilots,  whom  the 
Moor  brought  at  once  to  the  ship  with  his  bundle,  at  which 
the  captain-major  was  much  pleased.  The  Moor  then  re- 
turned on  shore,  for  they  sent  him  to  buy  cows  and  sheep, 
and  whatever  he  could  find  to  eat.  The  Moor  said  that  he 
would  look  about  and  bring  whatever  he  could  find,  but 
that  in  this  country  there  was  nothing  but  maize,  which 
they  eat  boiled  with  fish,  and  that  the  sheep  came  from 
other  places  outside,  and  that  they  would  find  them  further 
on  along  the  coast,  and  that  there  were  no  cows,  but  he 
would  bring  what  he  found  :  upon  which  he  went  ashore  in 

»  This  word  is  perhaps  the  Arabic  for  an  instructor,  a  word  in  general 
use  all  over  Africa. 

2  This  is  probably  the  same  man  who,  according  to  Osorio,  Goes,  and 
Castanheda,  came  with  his  son  and  offered  to  pilot  Gama  to  Molinde. 


WITH    MOZAMBIQUE.  89 

a  canoe,  because  the  captain-major  did  not  choose  that  the 
boat  should  go  ashore.  When  the  Moor  was  gone,  the 
captain-major  talked  to  the  pilots  who  knew  how  to  speak 
Arabic  with  a  Portuguese  man  who  had  been  in  Africa,  and 
could  speak  it  well ;  and  he  asked  them  about  many  things, 
of  which  they  gave  a  good  account,  and  they  were  lodged 
in  the  forecastle  in  the  pilot's  cabin.  The  Moor,  when  on 
shore,  despatched  the  business  he  had  gone  about,  and  the 
sheikh  when  alone  with  him  asked  him  many  questions,  as 
to  how  many  men  /same  in  the  ships,  and  if  they  were 
healthy  or  sick,  and  what  weapons  of  war  they  had,  and 
whether  they  had  brought  many  such  things  as  they  had 
sent  him.  The  Moor  told  him  that  the  men-at-arms  might 
be  about  sixty  men,  and  that  many  of  them  were  sick,  and 
that  their  weapons  were  the  swords  which  he  had  seen  that 
they  wore  at  their  belts,  and  they  had  lances ;  and  he  had 
not  seen  their  body  armour,  much  less  their  merchandise, 
as  they  kept  it  below  the  decks ;  but  our  men  were  well- 
conditioned  people,  and  seemed  to  him  men  who  would  do 
good  to  those  who  did  it  to  them  :  and  as  this  was  his 
opinion,  he  would  take  them  to  Cambay,  and  there  would 
do  their  business  and  assist  them  in  whatever  they  re- 
quired, since  he  thought  without  any  doubt  that  they 
would  pay  him  well  for  his  work.  As  to  the  people  of  the 
other  ship,  he  had  not  been  on  board  of  her,  and  did  not 
know  what  it  contained.  The  sheikh  having  heard  this 
from  the  Moor,  then  harboured  treachery  in  his  heart 
against  our  men,  coveting  what  he  might  be  able  to  take 
from  the  ships,  and  dissembled  with  the  Moor,  showing 
that  he  intended  to  do  good  to  our  people.  He  told  the 
Moor  to  look  for  and  take  to  them  all  that  they  had  sent 
for,  and  that  when  they  should  be  about  to  depart,  then  he 
on  his  own  part  would  send  them  what  could  be  got.  Then 
he  bade  the  Moor  return  to  the  ship  with  a  message  to  the 
captain-major  that  he  would  be  much  pleased  if  he  would 


o 


90  DEALINGS    OF    THE    POHTUODESE 

do  him  the  honour  to  consent  to  come  on  shore  to  amuse 
o  himself  and  dine  with  him,  and  if  he  would  send  the  sick  to 
'f  .  get  them  cured,  and  this  he  begged  much  of  him.  The 
Moor  (in  whose  heart  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  put  much 
good  faith  towards  our  men),  seeing  these  questions  and 
many  others  which  the  Sheikh  put  to  him,  at  once  under- 
stood that  he  intended  treachery  to  our  people,  and  that  if 
it  should  be  that  he  should  take  the  ships  and  kill  or  cap- 
ture our  people,  he  would  lose  the  advantages  which  he 
hoped  for  from  our  men  for  the  good  service  which  he  had 
determined  on  performing  for  them  :  and  with  this  reflec- 
tion, and  because  the  Lord  was  so  pleased,  he  settled  in 
his  heart  to  act  with  all  sincerity  towards  our  men,  as  if 
they  were  his  own  brothers.  So  he  went  to  the  ship,  and 
went  apart  with  the  captain-major  alone,  and  gave  him  an 
account  in  the  Arabic  language,  which  the  interpreter  spoke, 
of  all  that  had  occurred  with  the  sheikh,  and  that  according 
to  his  understanding  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  was  intend- 
ing treachery ;  and  he  told  him  this  that  no  harm  might 
happen  to  them.  L^pon  this  the  captain-major  embraced 
him,  promising  and  vowing  to  him  that  he  would  recom- 
pense him  as  he  deserved,  besides  the  good  which  God 
would  do  him  for  having  thus  kept  faith  with  them  who 
were  strange  and  foreign  men ;  and  whilst  they  had  done 
no  harm  to  that  Moor,  he  had  wished  to  injure  them.  Then 
he  sent  an  answer  to  the  Sheikh,  consisting  of  many  thpnks, 
but  that  they  could  not  disembark  in  any  country,  except 
in  that  one  to  which  their  King  was  sending  them,  neither 
could  they  send  the  sick  on  shore,  because  he  wished  to  de- 
part immediately ;  and  as  the  men  were  used  to  being 
always  at  sea,  he  was  afraid  that  the  land  would  do  them 
harm,  and  they  might  die  shortly  after:  but  he  would  ask  him 
to  send  to  show  him  where  there  was  water,  to  fetch 
some  with  the  boat.  The  captain-major  had  disposed  this 
with  the  design  of  taking  the  boat  well  armed,  and  of  doing 


WITH    MOZAMBIQUE.  91 

them  all  the  harm  in  his  power  if  he  found  there  any  one 
who  attempted  to  ill-treat  them ;  because,  if  the  Moor  had 
rightly  perceived  any  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  sheikh,  it 
would  discover  itself  there  at  the  watering  place ;  because, 
where  they  would  have  to  take  in  water  was  on  the  main- 
land, in  a  place  with  brushwood,  for  Mozambique  is  entirely 
an  island  surrounded  by  sea  water.  The  Sheikh,  on  hearing' 
the  reply  of  the  captain-major  that  he  would  not  come] 
ashore,  nor  send  the  sick,  and  that  he  wished  to  take  in 
water,  determined  to  seize  his  boat  there,  and  kill  his  men, 
and  to  go  with  four  Moorish  ships  which  were  in  the  port, 
and  many  men,  and  board  the  ships,  and  capture  them. 
For  this  purpose  he  made  ready  secretly,  and  called  the 
captains  of  the  ships  who  were  Moors,  giving  them  an  ex- 
planation of  how  he  intended  to  capture  our  ships  and  kill 
all  those  on  board,  because  they  were  Christians,  enemies 
of  the  Moors,  and  of  their  prophet  Mohamed.  The  Moors 
oflfered  themselves  for  this  with  good  will.  The  Moor 
Davan^  heard  and  understood  all  this,  and  came  off  to  the 
ship  and  gave  an  account  of  the  whole  to  the  captain-major, 
who  held  a  council  with  his  brother  and  the  pilots  and 
masters,  at  which  it  was  decided  that  in  no  possible  event 
should  they  risk  that  a  single  man  should  be  killed  or 
wounded,  on  account  of  their  great  want  and  scarcity  of 
men :  and  as  they  had  no  water,  and  of  necessity  must  go 
and  fetch  it,  the  men  should  go  in  the  boat  well  armed, 
because  in  the  sea  they  had  nothing  to  fear,  and  must  be 
on  their  guard  on  shore.  Then  the  captain-major  ordered 
two  cannons  to  be  placed  in  the  boat,  and  to  make  shelters 
for  the  gunwales  with  a  small  sail,  which  they  could  raise 
when  they  wished,  to  shelter  themselves  from  arrows :  and 
he  sent  in  it  Nicolas  Coelho  with  ten  sailors  and  twelve 
men  with  crossbows,  well  armed,  because  at  this  time  they 
had  not  as  yet  got  firelocks.  He  questioned  the  pilots  if 
they  knew  where  the  watering  place  was  ;  one  said  yes,  but 


92  DEALINGS    OF   THE    PORTUGUESE 

that  they  could  not  take  in  water  except  at  high  tide,  which 
was  at  midnight ;  at  which  the  captain-major  rejoiced, 
because  the  boat  would  not  go  by  day  when  the  Moors 
would  see  it,  and  would  go  with  greater  security.  Thus 
they  carried  it  out ;  but  the  pilot,  who,  it  seems,  knew  part 
of  the  treachery,  would  never  conduct  the  boat  to  the 
watering  place,  and  kept  going  up  creeks  and  under  trees, 
making  delays,  so  that  the  tide  might  go  down  and  they 
might  remain  high  and  dry.  The  master  paid  great  atten- 
tion to  the  tide,  because  the  captain-major  had  warned  him 
to  do  so ;  and  when  he  saw  that  it  was  ebbing  he  returned, 
and  the  pilot  then  endeavoured  to  get  them  to  go  into  other 
estuaries  ;  but  our  meu  understanding  his  falseness,  guessed 
rightly  the  way  by  which  they  had  come,  and  at  once  went 
back.  Nicolas  Coelho  wished  to  kill  the  pilot,  but  did  not 
venture,  and  thought  to  bring  him  to  the  captain-major 
that  he  might  order  him  to  be  hung,  so  that  the  people  on 
shore  might  see.  But  the  pilot,  who  was  taking  good  care 
of  himself,  when  the  boat  came  out  into  the  bay  and  it  was 
already  morning,  threw  himself  into  the  sea  and  dived,  and 
came  up  again  a  long  way  from  the  boat,  making  away  for 
the  shore  :  our  men  rowed  after  him,  shooting  arrows  at 
him,  at  which  many  people  flocked  to  the  beach  with  arms, 
discharging  many  arrows  at  the  boat,  and  stones  from 
slings.  This  was  seen  from  the  ships,  and  the  captain- 
major  put  up  a  flag  in  the  poop  of  the  ship,  at  which  the 
boat  went  to  the  ship,  and  they  took  counsel,  for  Vasco  da 
Gama  wanted  to  go  at  once  and  burn  the  ships  since  there 
were  already  many  people  in  them.  In  the  council  they 
decided  not  to  do  such  a  thing,  not  to  expose  any  of  their 
men,  and  that  they  could  easily  send  them  to  the  bottom 
with  their  artillery,  but  that  if  they  did  so  in  a  new  country, 
and  in  the  first  where  they  had  put  into  port,  a  bad  reputation 
jwould  be  spread  abroad  about  them,  and  it  would  be  said 
I  that  they  were  robbers  and  pirates  who  came  to  deceive  and 
rob,  which  would  be  the  cause  of  great  hindrance  to  what 


WITH    MOZAMBIQUE.  93 

they  had  come  to  perform ;  for  which  reason  it  was  bettor  to 
dissemble  and  act  as  cowards  and  send  to  complain  to  tho 
sheikh  as  though  they  knew  nothing  of  his  treachery.  This 
seemed  the  best  course  to  all.  When  they  wished  to  send 
the  Moorish  broker  he  did  not  choose  to  go  on  shore,  saying 
that  ho  was  afraid  they  would  kill  him.  Then  they  made 
sail  and  went  out  of  the  port,  when  they  saw  a  canoe  with 
four  cafres  and  a  Moor  with  a  white  cloth  raised  upon  a  pole, 
who  called  out,  and  the  captain-major  hove  to,  and  the  Moor 
spoke  in  Arabic.  Ho  said  that  the  sheikh  was  amazed  at 
our  people  trying  to  kill  his  pilot,  and  at  their  going  away 
like  men  who  were  irritated,  the  cause  of  which  was  not 
known ;  because  if  anyone  had  done  them  any  injury  let 
them  send  and  say  so,  and  he  would  do  them  strict  justice 
in  the  matter.  The  captain-major  ordered  them  to  put  into 
the  canoe  the  property  of  the  pilot  who  had  fled,  and  he 
ordered  one  Joan  Machado,  a  convict,  to  enter  the  canoe,  and, 
because  he  understood  a  little  Arabic,  he  bade  him  tell  tho 
Sheikh,  that  he,  like  a  good  friend,  and  from  affection,  had 
given  him  two  pilots  to  direct  him,  and  he  had  ordered  them 
to  show  where  he  could  get  water,  and  they  had  gone  a 
whole  night  and  the  pilot  had  not  pointed  it  out,  and  for  that 
had  fled  to  the  shore  and  our  people  had  tried  to  catch  him ; 
and  his  people  had  come  out  with  arms  to  fight:  and  as  they 
were  not  going  about  to  do  mischief,  nor  to  fight,  but  only 
to  seek  for  what  their  king  had  ordered  them ;  and  as  they 
had  not  found  sincerity  there,  in  the  Sheikh's  country,  on  that 
account  they  wont  away  without  communicating  with  him. 
With  this  message  he  sent  this  Joan  Machado,  who  had  been 
banished  for  ever,  he  and  ten  others ;  for  Vasco  da  Gama  on 
leaving  the  kingdom,  had  asked  the  king  to  give  him  a  few 
prisoners  who  were  condemned  to  death,  in  order  to  adven- 
ture them,  or  leave  them  in  desolate  countries,^  where,  if 

'  Camoens,  Canto  ii,  7 — 

E  de  alguiis,  que  trazia  condenaclos 
I'or  culpas,  &  pos'  fcitos  vcrgonhosos, 


94  CONVICTS    USED    AS    SCOUTS. 

they  lived,  they  might  be  of  great  advantage  when  he  re- 
turned and  found  them  again.  This  seemed  good  to  the 
King  and  he  sent  him  ten  men  who  were  condemned  to  death, 
and  he  had  them  as  banished  to  desolate  countries.  One  of 
these  was  this  Joan  Machado,  whom  he  sent  thus  in  the 
canoe,  with  the  design  of  leaving  him  in  the  country,  because 
if  he  lived  when  Portugese  returned  there  they  might  learn 
from  him  the  affairs  of  the  country  and  of  the  people.  While 
the  ship  was  lying  to  it  drifted,  and  struck  upon  some  shoals 
from  which  it  got  off  with  much  difficulty.  These  banks 
were  afterwards  named  the  Banks  of  St.  Raphael,  from 
Vasco  da  Gama's  ship.^  He  was  much  irritated  at  being  un- 
able to  pay  off  the  sheikh,  which  it  was  in  his  power  to  do, 
and  he  gave  orders  to  put  the  pilot  in  irons  to  prevent  his 
escaping. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

How  the  ships  went  away  from  Mozambique  along  the  coast ;  and  of 
what  happened  Jjy  the  way  until  they  reached  Melinde. 

In  proceeding  on  their  voyage,  as  the  wind  did  not  serve  for 
going  along  the  coast,  they  went  and  anchored  off  an  island, 
which  is  at  the  distance  of  one  league  from  Mozambique,  to 

Porque  podessem  ser  aventurados 
Em  casos  desta  sorte  duvidosoa, 
Manda  dous 

7. 
But  from  a  class  condemn'd  at  home  for  crime, 
Reprieved  from  death,  and  with  the  Armada  sent 
To  be  adventured,  at  the  chieftain's  time, 
Where  risk  of  nobler  life  were  wealth  misspent. 

Two  he  selects Quillinan. 

1  Barros  describes  this  as  happening  after  the  fleet  had  run  by  Quiloa. 


THE    CONVICT   JOAN    MACHADO.  95 

wait  for  the  wind,  and  to  allow  of  the  canoe  returning  from  Mo- 
zambique ;  but  it  did  not  return  because  the  Sheikh  was  much 
pleased  at  being  able  to  keep  Joan  Machado  as  a  captive,^ 

y  Corroa  relates  that  when  Pcdralvares  Cabral  came  to  Mozambique 
in  1500,  the  slieikh  showed  the  Portuguese,  at  the  extremity  of  the  town, 
a  tomb  with  a  cross  at  the  head,  and  told  him  that  there  lay  a  Portu- 
guese who  had  remained  behind  from  the  other  ships ;  and  he  showed 
them  a  plank  upon  which  letters  were  cut  with  a  knife,  which  said : 
"  In  this  grave  lies  Damiam  Rodriguez,  whom  Vasco  da  Gama  left  in 
this  country,  who  came  with  him  as  a  banished  man  and  seaman  in  the 
St.  Gabriel.''^  This  they  went  to  show  to  the  captain-major,  and  all 
were  glad  to  see  it ;  butjthe^  deceased  had  not_J;Qld_the  trutlv^becajise 
Doni  Vasco  did_npt_leaye  him,  but  only  one  Joao  IMachado,  also  a 
banished  man,  of  whom  this  Damiam  Rodrigues  who  was  banished  was 
a  friend ;  for  they  had  both  been  arrested  together  for  having  killed 
a  man  on  the  Rocio  (promenade)  of  Lisbon,  and  both  had  been  long 
prisoners  in  the  Limoeiro  of  Lisbon,  and  both  were  condemned  to  death 
for  this  affair.  For  this  reason,  when  the  shiji  .S'.  Rafael  struck  on  the 
shoals  on  leaving  Mozambique,  Rodriguez,  knowing  that  Joao  Machado 
remained  on  shore,  at  night  took  to  swimming  from  the  ship  *S'.  Gabriel 
of  Paulo  da  Gama,  in  which  he  was  a  seaman,  and  went  ashore  in 
search  of  his  friend  Machado ;  and  was  conducted  to  the  house  of  the 
sheikh,  wliere  INIachado  was,  and  the  sheikh  rejoiced  much  at  having 
both  of  them  ;  for  Machado  could  speak  Arabic  a  little,  and  tlie  sheikh 
gave  them  all  they  needed,  for  which  they  attended  upon  him  like  ser- 
vants. This  Joao  Machado  related  to  the  sheikh  the  greatness  of  the 
King  of  Portugal,  and  how  he  would  send  fleets  and  men  to  India  until 
he  took  it :  and  on  learning  what  our  people  had  done  at  Melinde  the 
sheikh  decided  on  becoming  a  great  friend  of  ours.  Whilst  both  these 
men  were  in  this  condition,  Damiam  Rodrigues  fell  ill  and  died,  at 
which  Machado  was  much  grieved,  and  with  the  sheikh's  permission  he 
buried  him  at  the  end  of  the  town,  and  engraved  the  letters  on  the 
plank,  and  placed  it  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  with  the  cross,  which  the 
sheikh  consented  to,  because  he  had  already  determined  to  be  our  friend. 
In  order  that  the  King  of  Quiloa  should  know  of  the  affairs  of  Portu- 
gal, which  Machado  related,  the  sheikh  wrote  them,  and  sent  them  by 
^lachado,  to  whom  he  gave  a  very  good  treatment,  for  Machado  was 
a  man  of  good  presence  and  goodly  speech,  and  well  instructed.  IVIachado, 
when  in  (Quiloa,  told  the  king  a  great  deal  about  the  affairs  of  Portugal, 
for  he  could  now  speak  the  language  well ;  and  thence  he  was  sent  to 
the  King  of  Bomba^a,  who  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  the  King  of 
Quiloa.  Speaking  to  these,  INIachado  inspired  them  with  great  fear  of 
Portugal,  so  that  they  were  deterred  from  desiring  war  with  our  people. 


96  DEPARTURE    FROM    MOZAMBIQUE. 

in  remembrance  of  those  Christian  ships  having  come  there. 
After  hearing  the  message  of  the  captain-major  he  was  for  a 
long  time  talking  to  Joan  Machado,  and  would  not  send  an 
answer,  though  he  saw  very  well  that  the  ships  were  at  the 
island,  because  he  was  afraid  that  the  captain-major  would 
capture  the  people  who  might  go  there  because  they  did  not 
bring  back  Joan  Machado,  whom  he  did  not  wish  to  send 
back.  This  Joan  Machado  profited  very  much  afterwards 
by  thus  remaining  there,  because  he  went  thence  through 
many  countries  and  passed  to  Cambay,  and  from  that  place 
to  other  countries,  and  learned  all  the  languages,  for  he  was 
a  man  of  good  understanding,  and  he  devoted  himself  to 
good,  so  that  he  became  an  honourable  man,  as  will  be  re- 
lated further  on  in  this  book.  The  ships  having  arrived  thus 
at  this  island,  in  which  there  were  no  people,  the  crews  dis- 
embarked, and  Vasco  da  Gama  ordered  them  to  erect  an 
altar  and  say  mass;  for  he  still  had  two  priests  and  the 
others  were  dead,  for  two  had  been  embarked  in  each  ship ; 
and  by  means  of  these  who  survived  all  confessed  during 
two  days,  and  on  Sunday  they  received  the  sacrament,  and. 
the  mass  was  said  in  praise  of  St.  George,  with  respect  to 
whom  the  captain-major  was  very  devout.  On  this  account 
they  named  this  island  after  St.  George.  Whilst  they  were 
here  waiting  for  a  wind  the  captain-major  wished  to  send 
-Nicolas  Coelho  in  the  boat,  well  armed,  and  with  a  cannon  and 
some  small  guns,  to  go  and  ask  the  sheikh  for  a  pilot,  and  if 
he  did  not  provide  one,  on  the  ground  of  this  grievance  he 
was  to  bombard  the  ships  and  send  them  to  the  bottom  if  he 
could ;  this  did  not  seem  good  to  all  for  the  reasons  which 

Thence  he  went  to  Melinde,  where  he  was  very  well  treated  by  the 
king,  with  whose  permission  he  embarked  in  a  Moorish  dress  for  Cam- 
bay  ;  there  he  went  about  for  some  time,  and  thence  went  to  Balagate, 
and  established  his  abode  with  the  Sabayo,  the  lord  of  Goa,  where  he 
was  held  in  honour,  for  he  was  a  valiant  man,  of  whom  I  wiU  relate 
more  further  on. 


VOYAGE    FROM    MOZAMBIQUE.  07 

have  already  been  mentioned  before.  Then  as  the  wind  came 
they  went  away  along  the  coast,  the  pilot  telling  them  that 
ho  would  take  them  to  a  great  city  named  Quiloa^  of  much 
trade  and  abounding  in  wealth,  in  which  there  was  a  separate 
quarter  where  Christian  traders  dwelled.  This  the  pilot  said 
with  falsehood,^  and  with  the  design  of  leading  them  into 
some  snare  so  that  they  might  all  be  killed,  from  spite  at 
their  having  put  him  in  irons ;  and  he  told  them  that  in 
Quiloa  they  would  find  whatever  they  wanted,  and  especially 
pilots  of  the  Indian's  ships  which  were  always  lying  there ; 
respecting  these  things  the  captain-major  conversed  with  the 
broker  Davan^,  questioning  him  about  the  things  which  the 
pilot  told  him  of  Quiloa.  He  told  him  that  it  was  so,  that 
Quiloa  was  indeed  a  great  city,  and  traded  in  much  mer- 
chandise which  came  from  abroad  in  a  great  many  ships  from^ 
all  parts,  especially  from  Mekkah,  and  that  in  the  city  there 
were  many  kinds  of  people,  and  there  were  some  Armenian 

>  Camoens,  Canto  i,  98. 
E  dizlhe  mais  co  falso  pensamento, 
Com  que  Sinon  aos  Frigios  enganou, 
Que  perto  estd,  huma  ilha,  cujo  assento 
Povo  antigo  Christao  sempre  habitou. 

99. 

Aqui  o  engano,  e  morte  Ihe  imagina, 
Porque  em  poder  e  for(;as  muito  excede 
A  Mozambique,  esta  ilha  que  se  chama 
Quiloa,  mui  conhecida  pella  fama. 

98. 
"With  art  like  that  of  Sinon,  when  his  guile 
Deceived  the  leaguer'd  Phrygians  to  their  fate, 
He  tells  the  Lusitanians  of  an  Isle 
By  Christians  held  from  immemorial  date. 

99. 

And  here,  the  Moor  forbodes,  intrigue  and  death 

Await  the  stranger  ;  for  its  power  and  force 

Out  measure  the  Mozambican  ;  its  name 

Quiloa,  frequent  in  the  mouth  of  Fame. 

Quillinan. 


98  THE    FLEET    RUNS    BY    QUILOA. 

traders  who  were  from  a  coimtry  called  Armenia,  and  it  was 
said  tliat  these  people  were  Christians,  but  he  did  not  know 
if  they  were  so,  because  he  had  never  had  any  dealings  with 
them ;  but  he  advised  Vasco  da  Gama  not  to  trust  to  the 
pilot,  lest  from  anger  at  their  having  put  him  in  irons,  he 
should  practise  upon  them  some  deceit,  or  evil,  by  causing 
the  ships  to  strike  upon  some  shoals.  The  captain-major  on 
hearing  all  this  from  the  Moor  was  much  comforted,  seeing 
that  he  was  a  sincere  friend,  and  he  showed  him  great 
honour.  The  Moor  busied  himself  so  much  in  learning  our 
speech,  that  in  a  short  time  he  was  able  to  say  everything. 
The  captain-major  told  the  pilots  and  masters  to  be  very 
watchful  during  the  voyage,  and  to  look  out  that  the  Moorish 
pilot  did  not  commit  any  error,  because  if  they  struck  on  any 
shoals  he  would  at  once  have  both  his  eyes  put  out.  Navi- 
gating thus  they  arrived  before  Quiloa,  where  the  Lord  sent 
them  a  contrary  wind,  so  that  they  were  unable  to  fetch  the 
port,^  where  the  Moorish  pilot  had  determined  on  wrecking 
the  ships  even  though  he  died  for  it  there  on  the  spot,  from 
which  the  Lord  delivered  them  by  not  giving  them  a  wind 
for  entering  into  the  port ;  and  they  ran  along  the  coast,  and 
reached  the  port  of  Bombaza,  also  a  great  city  of  trade  with 
many  ships.-  All  this  the  captain-major  was  veiy  desirous  of 
seeing  and  learning,  although  there  was  much  risk  in  it,  be- 
\  cause  he  had  come  on  purpose  to  discover  and  learn  everything, 
and  he  anchored  before  the  bar.  The  King  of  this  place  had 
already  received  a  message  from  the  Sheikh  of  Mozambique, 

1  Barros  agrees  with  Correa  in  saying  that  the  pilot  said  there  were 
Christians  in  Quiloa  :  he  says  the  currents  carried  the  ships  past  Quiloa 
by  night,  but  that  they  fell  into  another  danger,  for  the  S.  Rafael 
grounded  upon  a  bank,  from  which  it  got  off  with  the  tide  ;  from  which 
those  banks  were  named  of  S.  Rafael.  Camoens,  Canto  i,  100-102, 
follows  Barros,  and  says  Venus  turned  away  the  fleet  from  Quiloa  with 
a  contrary  gale. 

*  Castanheda  and  Barros  say  they  arrived  there  on  the  7th  of  April, 
the  eve  of  Palm  Sunday :  they  mention  the  beauty  of  the  houses  built  of 
stone  and  mortar,  with  windows  and  terraces  in  the  fashion  of  Spain. 


AHHIVAL    AT    MOMIUZA.  99 

who  sent  to  say  that  our  people  were  Christians  and  robbers^^ 
who  came  to  plunder  and  spy  the  countries  under  the  device 
that  they  were  merchants,  and  they  made  presents  and  be-  j 
haved  themselves  very  humbly  in  order  to  deceive,  and  after- 
wards come  with  a  fleet  and  men  to  take  possession  of] 
countries ;  and  therefore,  he  knowing  that,  had  wished  to 
capture  them  and  they  had  fled  from  the  port.  This  same 
message  had  already  come  to  Quiloa  when  our  people  arrived 
there,  for  the  Sheikh  had  sent  it  in  a  vessel  which  with  oars 
and  sails  ran  fast  along  the  coast.  Our  people  having  thus 
anchored  at  the  bar,  the  King,  who  was  already  prepared  to 
act  treacherously,  at  once  sent  a  large  boat  laden  with  fowls, 
sheep,  sugar-canes,  citrons,  lemons,  and  large  sweet  oranges, 
the  best  that  had  ever  been  seen ;  and  he  sent  a  respectable 
old  Moor  to  say  to  the  captain-major  that  he  had  much 
pleasure  in  seeing  him  there  at  anchor,  but  his  pleasure 
would  be  complete  when  the  ships  were  at  anchor  within  his 
port,  if  he  could  go  in  person  to  visit  him  on  board  of  his 
ship ;  and  in  his  city  he  would  do  him  such  services  that  the 
captain-major  would  be  glad  to  give  him  his  friendship,  and 
that  peace  shohld  last  for  ever  between  him  and  their  King ; 
that  he  therefore  prayed  him  to  enter  at  once ;  and  he  sent 
him  two  pilots  to  bring  the  ships  into  port,  because  the  en- 
trance had  shoals  which  spread  out  a  good  deal.  The  pilots 
had  already  got  their  orders  to  put  the  ships  upon  the  banks, 
where  they  would  be  lost,  and  they  were  to  escape  in  the 
boats  which  would  be  sent  from  the  shore.  The  crews  were 
delighted  with  the  present,  and  especially  the  sick  with  the 
vegetables  and  oranges.  The  captain-major  sent  many 
thanks  to  the  King  for  his  desire  to  render  him  many  services, 
in  consequence  of  which  he  sent  two  men  to  buy  him  some 
things  which  he  wanted  for  his  men  to  eat.  Then  he  sent 
two  of  the  convicts,  who  have  been  already  mentioned,  and 
told  them  to  endeavour  to  see  all  the  city  and  to  see  if 


v/ 


100  DBALINaS    OK    THK 

there  were  any  Christians,  as  they  told  him;'   and  he  sent 
with  them  the  broker  Davane ;  but  he  did  not  choose  to  go, 
saying,  that  after  they  had  seen  the  King  then  he  would  be 
of  service  in  the  affair  of  the  merchandise,  which  was  his 
business,  more  than  establishing  new  friendships  with  in- 
habitants of  a  country,  which  he  did  not  know  how  to  do. 
This  seemed  reasonable  to  the  captain-major,  and  he  did  not 
send  him,  so  the  boat  went  back  with  the  two  men.     On 
hearing  the  reply  the  King  was  very  well  satisfied,  and  en- 
tertained the  Portuguese  very  well,  and  he  sent  them  with 
the  old  Moor  through  the  city,  and  he  ordered  that  they 
should  have  without  money  all  that  they  saw  and  required 
or  that  they  asked  for ;  with  this  pretence  they  conducted 
them  through  the  whole  city,  and  took  them  to  the  house  of 
some  Moors  who  feigned  to  be  Christians,  and  who  shewed 
them  beads  with  crosses,  which  they  kissed  and  put  on  their 
eyes,  and  did  great  honour  to  our  people  for  being  Christians, 
making  them  sit  down  and  eat  cakes  of  rice  with  butter  and 
honey  and  plenty  of  fruit ;  and  they  wished  the  Portuguese 
to  sleep  in  their  house,^  but  the  Moor  who  conducted  them 

1  Barros  says  he  sent  two  men  to  spy  out  the  city :  Camoens  says 
they  were  two  of  the  convicts,  of  the  most  sagacious,  and  that  they  were 
to  see  if  there  were  any  Christians  in  the  town  :  Canto  ii,  7.  Barros  says 
Gama  e'xcused  himself  from  entering  the  port  for  two  days,  as  they 
were  Christian  feasts,  during  which  they  did  not  work. 

2  Barros  says  nothing  of  these  Christians  ;  but  Camoens,  who  in  imi- 
tation of  Homer  and  Virgil  represents  Venus  as  protecting  the  Portu- 
guese, and  Bacchus  as  defending  the  approaches  to  India,  says  that 
Bacchus  erected  the  altar  and  feigned  Christianity ;  he  says  that  the 
Portuguese  spies  were  shown  a  picture  of  the  Holy  Spirit  painted  as 
a  white  dove,  and  of  the  twelve  apostles.  These  pictures  could  not  have 
been  improvised  by  the  Moors.  He  also  says  that  the  two  Portuguese 
did  pass  the  night  with  these  feigned  Christians.  Barros  has  already 
mentioned  that  there  were  Christian  Abyssinians  at  Mozambique,  and 
it  is  more  probable  that  these  should  have  been  real  Christians,  than 
that  the  Moors  should  have  feigned  Christianity  and  veneration  for  the 
cross.  Castanheda  says  the  two  convict  spies  were  taken  to  the  house 
of  two  Indian  merchants  who  were  Christians  of  St.  Thomas  ;  these,  on 


PORTUGUESE    AT    MOMBASA.  101 

would  not  let  them,  but  took  them  back  to  the  King,  who 
continued  asking  them  many  things  and  showing  much 
satisfaction,  and  then  sent  them  to  be  entertained  in  his 
palaces.  Next  day  in  the  morning  the  King  asked  the  two 
Portuguese  if  they  wished  to  take  away  any  thing  of  what 
they  had  come  to  fetch.  They  answered  that  since  the  ships 
were  going  to  come  into  port  they  would  then  buy  them. 
The  King  then  said  that  that  would  do  as  well,  and  that  they 
could  wait  till  they  came  in.  He  then  ordered  that  one  of 
the  Portuguese  should  go  and  give  an  account  to  the  captain- 
major  of  what  they  had  found,  because  he  wished  that  he 
should  relate  to  the  captain-major  how  well  he  had  been  re- 
ceived, so  that  he  might  be  more  pleased  to  come  inside  the 
port,  for  the  King  desired  nothing  else,  since  they  would  not 
have  pilots  to  take  them  out  again  ;  but  his  principal  hope 
was  that  the  pilots  would  cast  the  ships  upon  the  banks  at 
the  entrance.  The  King  sent  the  old  Mooi',  accompanied  by 
others  as  soldiers  with  their  arms  and  arrows,  and  he  sent  to 
entreat  the  captain-major  to  enter  at  once.  He  replied  that 
he  would  whenever  the  pilots  ordered  it.  The  Moor  spoke 
to  the  pilots,  who  said  that  they  ought  to  go  in  at  once  as 
the  tide  was  already  rising ;  upon  which  the  captain-major 
ordered  that  they  should  weigh.  Our  pilots  became  angry, 
saying  that  the  tide  was  not  yet  a  quarter  full,  and  that  they 
ought  to  wait  till  the  tide  was  quite  high,  and  they  said  so 
to  the  Moorish  pilots  ;  they  replied  that  the  water  that  there 
was  then  was  sufficient,  because  later  with  more  water  the 
tide  ran  very  strong,  which  was  not  good.  Nevertheless  the 
captain-major  ordered  the  anchor  to  be  weighed  as  he  would 
go  forward.  The  old  Moor  then  got  back  into  his  boat  to 
go  rowing  ahead  of  the  ship,  which  on  loosing  the  foresail 
would  never  bring  her  head  round  to  point  towards  the  bar^^ 

learning  that  the  Portuguese  were  Christians,  were  much  pleased,  and 
siiowcd  thcni  a  picture  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  they  worshipped. 

'   Barros  s;vys — ''  S'uscu  da  Gauui's  ship  wt)uld  not  head  round  for  tlie 


102  THE    PORTUGUESE    SUSPECT 

but  went  drifting  towards  the  bank  ;  on  which  account  the 
master  ordered  the  anchor  to  be  let  fall  and  to  strike  the 
sails  quickly ;  this  Paulo  da  Gama  did  also.  Upon  which 
the  Moor  in  the  boat  asked  the  captain-major  what  message 
he  sent  to  the  king.  The  captain-major  was  vexed  at  not 
entering  port,  and  told  him  to  say  to  the  king  that  he  saw  well 
that  he  coujd  not  come  in,  and  that  he  would  be  very  glad 
to  enter.  With  this  the  Moor  went  away,  and  the  pilots 
whom  he  had  brought,  impatient  with  the  ship,  cast  them- 
selves into  the  sea,  and  made  off  to  the  boat,  which  picked 
them  up  and  made  for  the  shore.  Alarmed  at  this  the 
captain-major  ordered  the  pilot  whom  he  had  got  secured 
to  be  tortured  by  dropping  boiling  grease  upon  him  because 
the  other  pilots  had  been  with  him,  and  he  at  once  confessed 
that  the  pilots  who  had  fled  had  been  commanded  by  the 
King  to  let  the  ships  go  on  the  banks,  and  that  as  they 
had  again  cast  anchor  and  did  not  enter  the  port,  they  sup- 
posed it  was  because  their  treachery  was  known,  and  for 
that  they  fled.^  For  this  the  captain-major  and  all  gave 
thanks   to   the   Lord  who  had  thus  miraculously  delivered 


sail  to  catch  the  wind,  and  began  to  di-ive  upon  a  shoal ;  he,  seeing  the 
danger,  with  loud  cries  ordered  to  let  go  an  anchor." 

Camoens,  in  six  very  beautiful  stanzas  of  the  second  canto,  poetises 
the  incident  of  Gama's  ship  refusing  to  steer,  and  represents  sea- 
born Venus,  obeyed  by  the  water  powers,  convoking  the  Nereids  to  stay 
the  ship  from  entering  the  unfriendly  port  ;  and  the  sea-nymphs,  like 
ants  struggling  with  a  heavy  weight,  opjiosed  their  soft  bosoms  to  the 
hard  prows  of  the  ships,  and  turned  aside  the  Portuguese  from  a  horrible 
end.  Though  an  imitation,  it  is  yet  an  improvement  upon  Neptune's 
setting  Cymothoe  and  Triton  to  dig  Eneas'  ships  out  of  the  sandbanks. 

'  Barros,  Camoens,  and  Osorio  attribute  the  fear  and  flight  of  the 
Moorish  pilots  to  the  great  shouting  and  rushing  of  the  crew  from  one  end 
of  the  ship  to  the  other  to  let  go  the  anchor.  Barros  says  that  even  the 
Mozambique  pilot  jumped  off  the  poop  into  the  sea ;  Castanheda  says 
that  Gama  caused  two  of  the  Mozambique  prisoners  to  be  tortured  with 
boiling  grease ;  and  when  he  was  aliout  to  torture  another  Moor,  this 
man  jumped  into  the  S(;a  with  his  hands  tied  together,  and  another 
jumped  in  from  the  poop. 


THE    PILOTS.  103 

tliein_frora  so  great  a  danger.  When  the  tide  turned  and 
went  out,  as  it  was  moonlight,  the  captain-major  ordered 
them  to  weigh  the  anchor,^  at  which  they  worked  all  night, 

'  Barros,  Castanheda,  and  Camoeus  say  that  the  Moors  came  that 
niglit  to  cut  tlie  ships'  cables,  but  that  as  they  were  heard  their  evil  de- 
.sign  (lid  not  succeed. 

Cauto  II,  17. 
Na  terra  cautamente  apparelhavaui 
Armas,  e  muni(joes  ;  que  como  visseni, 
Que  no  rio  os  navios  ancoravam, 
Nelles  ousadameute  se  subissem  : 
E  nesta  trai(;ao  determiiiavam, 
(Jue  OS  de  Luso  de  todo  destruissem, 
E  que  incautos  pagassem  deste  geito 
O  mal,  que  cm  Mo<;ambique  tinham  feito. 

18. 
As  aucoras  tenaces  vao  levando 
Com  a  nautica  grita  costumada. 
Da  proa  as  velas  s6s  ao  vento  dando, 
Tnclinam  para  a  barra  abalizada. 
Mas  a  linda  Erycina,  que  guardando 
Andava  sempre  a  gente  assinalada, 
Vendo  a  cilada  grande,  e  tao  secreta, 
Voa  do  ceo  ao  mar  como  huma  setta. 

19. 
Convoca  as  alvas  filhas  de  Nereo, 
Com  toda  a  mais  cerulea  companhia  ; 
Que,  porque  no  salgado  mar  nasceo, 
Das  aguas  o  poder  Ihe  obedecia  : 
E  propondo-lhe  a  causa,  a  que  desceo, 
Com  todos  juntamente  se  partia, 
Para  estorvar  que  a  armada  nao  chegasse 
Aonde  para  sempre  se  acabasse. 

20. 
Ja  na  agua  erguendo  vac  com  grande  pressa 
Com  as  argenteas  caudas  branca  escuma  : 
Doto  co'o  peito  corta,  e  atravessa 
Com  mais  furor  o  mar,  do  que  costuma : 
Salta  Nise,  Nerine  se  arremessa 
Por  cima  da  agua  crespa,  em  forcja  summa  ; 
Abrem  caminho  as  ondas  cncurvadas, 
De  temor  das  Nercidas  apressadas. 


104  GAMA    LEAVES    AN    ANCHOR 

until  morning,  and  before  the  tide  had  entirely  gone  down, 
with  the  great  force  which  they  used,  the  cable  broke,  and 
the  ship  went  out,  and  the  anchor  remained  behind,  which 
the  Moors  got  up  later,  and  placed  at  the  gate  of  the 
King^s  palace,  where  afterwards  the  Viceroy  Dom  Francisco 

21. 

Nos  hombros  de  hum  Tritao  com  gesto  acceso 

Vai  a  linda  Dione  furiosa  : 

Nao  sente,  quem  a  leva,  o  doce  peso, 

De  soberbo  com  carga  tao  formosa  : 

Ji,  chegam  perto,  donde  o  vento  teso 

Enche  as  velaa  da  frota  bellicosa  : 

Repartem-se,  e  rodeam  nesse  instante 

As  naos  ligeiras,  que  hiam  por  diante. 

22. 
Poem-se  a  deosa  com  outraa  em  direito 
Da  proa  capitaiaa,  e  alii  fechando 
O  caminho  da  barra,  estao  de  geito, 
Que  em  vao  assopra  o  vento,  a  vela  inchando  : 
Poem  no  madeiro  duro  o  brando  peito, 
Para  detraz  a  forte  nao  forcjando  : 
Outras,  em  derredor,  levando-a  estavam, 
E  da  barra  inimiga  a  desviavam. 

23. 
Quaes  para  a  cova  as  providas  formigas, 
Levando  o  pezo  grande  accommodado, 
As  forcjas  exercitam,  de  inimigas 
Do  inimigo  inverno  congelado ; 
Alii  sao  sens  trabalhos,  e  fadigas. 
Alii  mostram  vigor  nunca  esperado  : 
Taes  andavam  as  nymphaa  estorvando 
A  gente  Portugueza  o  fim  nefando. 

24. 
Torna  para  detraz  a  nao  forcjada, 
A  pezar  dos  que  leva,  que  gritando 
Maream  velas,  f  erve  a  gente  irada, 
O  leme  a  hum  bordo,  e  a  outro  atravessando  : 
O  mestre  astuto  em  vao  da  popa  brada, 
Vendo  como  diante  ameacjando 
Os  estava  hum  maritimo  penedo, 
Que  de  quebrar-lhe  a  nao  Ihe  mette  medo. 


BEHIND    IN    MOMBASA.  105 

Dalmeida  found  it.^     The  King,  to  conceal  his  treachery, 
quarrelled  much  with  the  pilots  because  they  ran  away,  in 

'  Castanheda  says  Gama  left  Monibaza  on  Friday,  and  that  on  leav- 
ing the  bar  they  left  behind  one  of  their  anchors,  as  the  men  were  very 
weary  with  getting  up  the  others,  and  could  not  weigh  this  one ;  the 
Moors  found  it  later  and  placed  it  close  to  the  King's  palace,  where 
Francisco  d' Almeida  found  it  when  he  took  Mombaza. 


25. 
A  celeuma  medonha  se  levanta 
No  rudo  marinheiro,  que  trabalha  : 
O  grande  estrondo  a  Maura  gente  espanta, 
Como  se  vissem  horrida  batalha  : 
Nao  sabem  a  razao  de  furia  tanta, 
Nao  sabem  nesta  pressa,  quem  Ihe  valha ; 
Cuidam,  que  seus  enganos  sao  sabidos, 
E  que  hao  de  ser  por  isso  aqui  punidos. 

26. 
Ei-los  subitamente  se  lan^avam 
A  seus  bateis  veloces,  que  traziam  : 
Outros  em  cima  o  mar  alevantavam, 
Saltando  n'agua,  a  nado  se  acolhiam  : 
De  hum  bordo  e  d'outro  subito  saltavam  ; 
Que  o  medo  os  compellia  do  que  viam  ; 
Que  antes  querem  ao  mar  aventurar-se. 
Que  nas  maos  inimigas  entregar-se. 

27. 
Assi  como  em  selvatica  alagoa 
As  raas,  no  tempo  antigo  Lycia  gente, 
Se  sentem  por  ventura  vir  pessoa, 
Estando  fora  da  agua  incautamente  ; 
Daqui  e  dalli  saltando,  o  charco  soa, 
Por  fugir  do  perigo  que  se  sente  ; 
E  acolhendo  se  ao  couto,  que  conhecem, 
Sos  as  cabe^as  na  agua  Ihe  apparecem  : 

28. 
Assi  fogem  os  Mouros :  e  o  piloto. 
Que  ao  perigo  grande  as  naos  guiara, 
Crendo  que  seu  engano  estava  noto, 
Tambem  foge,  saltando  na  agua  amara. 
Mas  por  nao  darem  no  penedo  immoto, 
Onde  percam  a  vida  docc  e  chara, 
A  ancora  solta  logo  a  cai)itaina, 
Qualquer  das  outras  junto  dclla  amaina. 


lOG  THE    FLEET    LEAVES 

the  presence  of  the  convict  who  had  remained  on  shore 
(who  was  named  Peter  Diaz,  and  who  afterwards  came  to 

Canto  II,  17. 
The  warriors  on  the  isle  are  all  prepared, 
And  wait  the  moment  to  effect  their  scheme, 
To  seize  the  fleet,  within  the  bar  ensnared 
And  tether'd  to  its  anchors  in  the  stream  ; 
Nor  less  than  massacre  of  all  on  board 
Will  satisfy  their  fury,  which  they  deem 
A  sacred  thirst  of  vengeance,  for  they  seek 
Their  brothers  to  avenge  of  Mozambique. 

18. 
The  nautic  cheer  that  helps  the  windlass  round 
Calls  up  the  sullen  anchors,  slow  to  rise  ; 
With  foresheet  only  to  the  wind  unbound, 
The  Armada,  by  the  landmarks  steering,  plies 
Right  for  the  bar.     But  of  her  charge  renown'd 
Still  watchful,  Erycina,  who  descries 
The  peril,  darts  on  ocean  from  above 
Swift  as  an  arrow  from  the  bow  of  Love. 

19. 
She  summon'd  the  white  Nereids  to  her  aid, 
And  all  their  mates  of  the  cerulean  plain : 
Her  voice  the  willing  Tower  of  Waters  sway'd : 
And  all  the  listening  sisters  of  the  main 
Their  Aphrodite  cheerfully  obey'd. 
Prompt  at  her  word,  they  follow  to  restrain 
The  lured  Armada  from  the  fatal  river, 
Where  once  entangled  it  is  lost  for  ever. 

20. 
Away  they  race,  and  foremost  of  the  throng 
Nerine,  flashing  onward  in  the  pride 
Of  force  consummate,  flings  herself  along  ; 
Nisa  goes  bounding  o'er  the  bounding  tide  ; 
Doto,  in  more  than  wonted  fury  strong. 
Breasts  the  tall  billows  :  the  curved  waves  divide 
In  awe  to  give  the  rushing  Nereids  way — 
Long  lines  behind  them  gleam  of  argent  spray. 

21. 
Majestic  passion  sparkling  in  her  eyes, 
Upon  the  shoulders  of  a  Triton  sate 
The  lovely  Diontea  ;  lightly  lies 
On  him  the  burden,  proud  of  such  a  freiglit  — 


MOMBASA.  107 

India  to  our  people,  and  became  a  seafaring  man,  so  that 
they  named  him  "Northeast^'),  and  the  King  ordered  the 
pilots  to  be  beaten. 

The  floet  that  umlcr  easy  canvas  tries 
The  ill-oinen'd  pass,  they  reacli  ere  yet  too  late, 
And,  instant,  wheeling  as  the  leader  guides, 
A  troop  of  Nymphs  around  each  vessel  glides. 

22. 
The  Goddess  and  her  troop  confront  the  sail 
Of  Gama,  hindering  access  to  the  bar. 
With  such  effect  that  all  in  vain  the  gale 
Blows  aft.     Their  bosoms,  resolute  as  fair. 
Against  the  bows  enforced,  back,  back  comi^el 
The  strong-ribb'd  ship,  while  with  as  strenuous  care 
Others  astern,  cling  grappling  at  the  hull : — 
The  shuddering  ship  recoils  with  canvas  full ! 

2;]. 
As  emmets,  provident  against  their  foe 
The  shrewd  and  nipping  winter,  to  their  cell 
'i'railing  some  bulky  weight  well-balanced,  show 
Wliat  mighty  hearts  in  little  room  may  dwell. 
And  tugging,  straining,  over  high  and  low. 
Straight  to  their  hoard  the  giant  prize  comjoel — 
So  toil  the  Nymphs  from  I'uin  foul  to  save 
Their  Lusian  friends  and  comrades  of  the  wave. 

2i. 
The  stagger'd  ship  to  leeward  falls,  and  drifts 
In  spite  of  those  who  toil  with  shrilly  cry 
At  cord  and  sail ;  the  raging  steersman  shifts 
His  helm  from  side  to  side  incessantly  : 
The  Master  from  the  poop  in  vain  uplifts 
His  warning  voice  tliat  tells  of  peril  nigh  ; 
For  breakers  now  upon  his  quai'ter  loom, 
A  reef  of  sea-beat  rocks  that  threaten  doom. 

25. 
'I'he  fearful  whooping  the  rough  seamen  raise. 
Clangs  to  their  toil  :  the  clamour  and  the  press 
Of  furious  energies  the  ISIoors  amaze. 
As  if  they  were  amid  the  horrent  stress 
Of  battle  :  whither  the  loud  tumult  sways, 
Or  what  it  bodes,  they  know  not,  Init  they  guess 
The  weft  unravell'd  of  tlieir  artful  snare, 
Aud  vengeance  bursting  on  them,  then,  and  there. 


108  DEPAXiTURE    FROM    MOMBASA. 

26. 
ImpeU'd  by  irresistible  dismay, 
Lo !  on  a  sudden,  overboard  they  leap. 
Whirling  from  this  side  and  from  that  away  ! 
Some  vault  to  their  almades  and  skim  the  deep  ; 
Others  plunge  headlong  in  the  upboiling  sea, 
Adventuring  rather  through  its  coil  and  sweep 
To  struggle  for  the  chance  of  hfe,  than  know 
"What  fate  may  wait  them  from  an  injured  foe. 

27. 
As  on  the  bosky  margin  of  a  lake. 
Having  emerged  incautious  from  the  mere, 
Frogs  (in  old  time  a  Lycian  people)  take 
Affright  perchance  at  some  intruder  near. 
And  leaping,  splashing,  hither,  thither  make 
The  troubled  water  vocal  with  their  fear, 
And  huddle  to  their  customary  screen, 
Nought  but  their  heads  above  the  surface  seen, — 

28. 
So  flit  the  ISloors  :  and  he  of  Mozambique, 
AVho  led  the  ships  to  that  great  jeopardy, 
Believing  his  imposture  known,  alike 
Escapes  by  plunging  to  the  bitter  sea  : 
But  lest  upon  the  steadfast  rock  they  strike. 
Where  life,  so  sweet  and  precious,  lost  must  be. 
The  flagship  drops  the  anchor  at  a  cast ; 
The  rest,  hard  by  their  leader,  moor  as  fast. 

Quillinan. 


Mombas.  The  main  entrance  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  broad  be- 
tween the  outer  reefs,  which  together  with  the  south  end  of  the  island 
form  the  outer  bay  or  road,  which  has  in  general  from  six  to  nine 
fathoms'  depth  of  water,  with  some  deep  holes  of  from  eighteen  to 
thirty-five  fathoms,  and  a  shoal  patch  with  less  than  four  fathoms. 

The  port,  although  safe  inside,  is  rather  difficult  of  access,  on  account 
of  extensive  reefs  which  contract  the  entrance  to  the  port  to  about  two 
cables'  length,  with  from  eight  to  sixteen  fathoms  between  the  reefs, 
with  the  castle  bearing  about  NNW.— Horsburgh's  Directory. 


VOYAGE    TO    MELINDE.  109 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

How  the  ships  reached  Melinde,  and  of  the  good  peace  which  the  King 
established  with  our  people,  and  from  thence  they  departed  to 
Calicut. 

Our  men  having  left  Bombaza,  they  ran  along  the  coast 
with  much  vigilance,  because  they  did  not  trust  to  the 
pilot  whom  they  had  got  in  irons,  and  proceeding  on  their 
voyage,  one  afternoon  they  sighted  two  sambuk s/  of  which 
they  only  captured  one,  for  the  other  got  so  close  in  to 
shore  that  the  ships  could  not  reach  it,  until  it  found  a  very 
narrow  river,  into  which  it  put  in.  The  other,  which  was 
taken,  was  laden  with  ivory,  and  eighty  men  were  captured 
in  it.  Its  captain  was  a  man  of  Dias,  who  was  taking 
thither  his  wife,  a  very  pretty  woman,  with  rich  jewels  and 
money  in  a  chest,  and  four  women  in  her  service.  The 
captain-major  distributed  amongst  the  ships,  only  the  people 
who  remained  in  the  sambuk,  into  which  he  ordered  ten 
Portuguese  to  be  put,  whom  he  prohibited  from  moving  any- 
thing, and  bade  them  watch  well  by  night,  so  as  not  to  part 
company  from  the  ships.  They  searched  the  sambuk  and 
did  not  find  any  arms  in  it.  So  they  went  on  until  they  arrived 
at  Melinde,"  which  is  on  the  open  coast.     As  the  city  was  a 

'  Both  Barros  and  Camoens  say  they  met  the  two  sambuks  the  day 
after  leaving  Mombaza.  Barros  says  they  captured  thirteen  Moors,  as 
the  rest  jumped  into  the  sea,  and  that  Gama  brought  them  on  to 
Melinde,  and  that  all  these  men  concurred  in  praising  the  humanity  of 
the  King  of  Melinde,  and  in  saying  that  a  pilot  might  be  obtained 
there  for  India.  Osorio  says  he  took  fourteen  Moors,  and  let  go  the 
rest,  and  that  among  the  prisoners  was  their  captain,  from  whom  he  got 
much  information.  Castanheda  says  that  Gama  tried  to  find  a  pilot  among 
these  prisoners  of  the  sambuk,  but  they  always  said  they  could  not 
pilot  him  even  though  they  were  put  to  torture. 

2  Barros,  Osorio,  and  Camoens  say  they  arrived  at  Melinde  on  Easter 
Sunday,  1-498  ;  Castanheda  says  they  arrived  at  sunset  on  the  Saturday 
before  Easter  Day  :  he  says  Melinde  is  situated  on  a  plain  by  the  side  of  the 


1  ]  0  ARRIVAL    OF    THE    FLEET 

great  one,  of  noble  buildings,  and  surrounded  by  walls,  and 
placed  immediately  on  the  shore,  it  made  an  imposing 
appearance,  and  at  the  sight  of  it  our  men  experienced  great 

sea,  and  looks  like  Alcouchete ;  it  was  surrounded  by  palm  trees  and 
gardens  of  orange  trees  and  evergreens. 

Canto  II,  73. 
Quando  chegava  a  frota  aquella  parte, 
Onde  o  reino  Melinde  ja  se  via, 
De  toldos  adornada,  e  leda  de  arte. 
Que  bem  mostra  estimar  o  sancto  dia  : 
Treme  a  bandeira,  voa  o  estandarte, 
A  cor  purpurea  ao  longe  apparecia, 
Scam  OS  atambores,  e  pandeiros  : 
E  assi  entravam  ledos,  e  guerreiros. 

74. 
Enche-se  toda  a  praia  Melindana 
Da  gente,  que  vem  ver  a  leda  armada  ; 
Gente  mais  verdadeira,  e  mais  liumana. 
Que  toda  a  d'outra  terra  atraz  deixada. 
Surge  diante  a  frota  Lusitana, 
Pega  no  fundo  a  ancora  pezada : 
Man  dam  fora  hum  dos  Mouros,  que  tomaram, 
Por  quem  sua  vinda  ao  Rei  manifestaram. 

73. 
When  to  that  distance  from  the  which  their  eys 
Might  reach  Melinde,  the  Armada  came  ; 
Adorn'd  with  tapistrie  triumphant-wise, 
As  that  day's  holiness  it  well  became. 
The  Standard  trembles,  and  the  streamer  flyes. 
The  scarlet-wast-cloaths  at  a  distance  flame. 
The  drums  and  timbrels  sound.     Thus  they  that  bar. 
Like  Christians  enter,  and  like  men  of  war. 

74. 
With  people  hid  is  the  Melindian  shore, 
That  come  to  see  the  joyful  fleet.     More  kind 
Are  these,  more  humane,  and  of  truth  have  more. 
Than  those  of  all  the  coun treys  left  behind. 
The  Lusitanian  navy  drops,  before. 
The  hea\'y  anchors,  which  fast  rooting  find. 
One,  of  the  Moors  they  took,  is  sent  on  land  : 
To  let  the  King  their  coming  understand. 

Fanshaw. 


BEFORE    MELINDE.  Ill 

deli ghtj  and  gave  great  pra_ise_to  the_Lord,  who  had  brought 
them  to  such  a  country.  They  anchored  in  front  of  the  city 
close  to  many  ships  which  wore  in  the  port,  all  dressed  out 
with  flags,  for  the  King  also  ordered  flags  to  be  hung  out  on 
the  walls  of  the  city,  to  show  our  people  the  pleasure  which 
he  felt  at  their  arrival.  The  reason  of  this  was,  that  on  the 
arrival  of  the  news  which  ran  through  the  country  of  the 
coming  of  the  ships,  and  of  what  they  did  wherever  they 
came,  he  spoke  with  a  soothsayer  in  whom  he  much  confided, 
and  talked  with  him  of  what  he  should  do,  touching  our 
people.  The  soothsayer  told  him  to  establish  all  the  peace 
and  amity  with  our  men  that  he  could,  because  it  would 
last  for  ever,  and  he  would  not  receive  the  injuries  which  our 
men  would  do  to  all  the  other  places  in  which  they  did  not 
meet  with  full  sincerity ;  for  our  people  were  to  be  the 
masters  of  all  India,  and  by  establishing  a  friendship  at  first 
with  them,  it  would  last  for  ever.  ;  The  King,  who  trusted 
much  in  the  soothsayer,  decided  in  his  heart  to  act  in  this 
manner.  Afterwards  our  ships  arrived  off  the  port,  which 
was  at  the  end  of  April  of  1498,^  it  was  already  late,  and 

'  Amongst  other  reasons  for  thinking  that  Correa's  dates  are  more 
exact  than  those  of  Barros  and  the  other  writers,  the  circumstances 
attending  the  arrival  at  Melinde  may  be  mentioned.  Barros  says 
Gama  arrived  there  on  Easter  Sunday,  April  15,  1498 — Correa  says  the 
end  of  April.  Now  Correa  is  in  the  habit  of  mentioning  the  saints' 
days  rather  than  the  dates  of  the  days  of  the  month,  and  it  is  hardly 
likely  he  would  have  omitted  to  mention  Easter  Sunday  had  they 
arrived  on  that  day.  Moreover,  Correa  mentions  that  it  was  a  moon- 
light night  when  they  got  up  their  anchor  to  leave  Mombaza,  and  both 
accounts  agree  that  that  was  three  nights  and  two  days  before  the 
arrival  at  Melinde.  Now,  full  moon  was  on  the  6th  of  April,  about 
two  p.m.  Greenwich  mean  time,  and  the  expression  of  a  moonlight 
night  would  appear  to  apply  better  to  a  night  at  the  end  of  April,  six 
days  or  a  week  before  the  full  moon,  than  to  a  night  six  days  or  a  week 
after  the  full  moon  of  April  6th.  Also,  if  Gama  had  arrived  on  the 
15th  April,  that  would  have  been  during  Ramazan,  which  ended  on  the 
23rd  April,  after  which  came  the  three  days  of  Bairam  ;  and  as  Correa 
mentions  the  Moors  and  Portuguese  eating  together  by  day,  and  gives 


112  ARRIVAL    AT    MELINDE. 

they  did  not  send  any  message.  Next  day,  in  the  morning, 
there  came  a  canoe,  with  a  well  dressed  man,  who  spoke 
from  the  canoe,  and  said  that  the  King  asked  who  they  were, 
and  what  they  wanted  in  his  country,  and  that  whatever  they 
had  need  of  they  might  send  to  fetch  in  the  city,  and  if  it 
was  to  be  had,  it  would  all  be  given  them  for  money,  and 
with  good  will.  The  captain-major  replied  that  they  re- 
quired a  good  deal,  and  for  that  reason  would  he  give  him 
leave  to  enter  the  port,  because  without  his  leave  he  would 
by  no  means  enter.  That  skiff  went  back  with  the  message 
and  did  not  come  again,  and  as  it  was  late  the  old  Moor  of 
the  sambuk  said  to  the  captain-major  that  he  should  send 
him  ashore,  and  that  he  would  bring  back  word  from  the 
King.  The  captain-major  approved  of  this,  and  sent  him  in 
the  boat,  which  was  to  put  him  into  some  one  of  the  ships, 
of  which  there  were  many  close  to  the  beach  :  this  they  did, 
and  a  skiS*  which  was  going  along  came  to  the  boat  to  ask 
what  they  wanted.  The  Moor  got  into  this  and  went  ashore, 
and  the  boat  returned  to  the  ship.  The  Moor  went  to  speak 
to  the  King,  giving  him  an  account  of  how  our  men  had 
\  brought  him  away  as  a  prisoner,  but  without  doing  him  any 
'  harm,  and  that  he  knew  that  in  Mozambique  and  Quiloa  and 
Bombaza,  they  had  intended  to  do  injury  and  treacher}^  to 
the  Portuguese,  without  their  having  done  any  harm  :  on 
that  account  let  the  King  consider  what  he  would  do  with 
our  people,  because  if  he  did  not  give  them  leave  to  enter 
the  port,  they  wished  to  go  away  at  once.  The  King  having 
heard  this,  and  in  consequence  of  what  he  had  already 
determined  upon  in  his  heart,  immediately  ordered  a  boat  to 
be  laden  with  refreshments,  which  he  sent  to  the  captain- 
major,  saying  that  he  was  much  pleased  that  he  should  enter 

many  details,  without  mentioning  either  the  fast  of  Ramazan  nor  the 
subsequent  festivities,  the  probability  is  great  that  Gama  arrived, 
as  Correa  says,  at  the  end  of  April,  when  the  Ramazan  and  Bairam 
would  be  entirely  over. 


PROCEEBINGS    AT    MELTNDE.  113 

into  the  port,  and  that  the  captain-major  was  to  send  iind 
tell  him  whatever  he  wanted.     The  old  Moor  remained  with 
the  King,  who  sent  off  a  pilot  in  a  skiff  to  bring  the  ships 
inside  the  port,  which  was  formed  in  the  sea  by  a  reef,  by 
which  they  were   to  enter.     The  captain-major  on  receiving 
the  Kiug^s  message,  talked  with  the  broker  Davane,   and 
begged  him  to  go  and  speak  with  the  King,  and  see  what 
he  thought  of  him,  and  then  with  his  advice  the  captain- 
major  would  do  what  was  fitting.     This  the  Moor  did  at  once, 
and,  dressed  in  his  red  robe,  he  went  on  shore,  in  the  boat 
which  had  brought  the  refreshments,  and  on  behalf  of  the 
captain-major  he  gave  the  King  many  thanks  for  the  refresh- 
ment and  for  the  answer  which  he  had  sent  giving  him  leave 
to  enter  the  port,  which  he  would  do  soon,  when  the  pilot 
ordered  it.    The  King  was  much  pleased  with  the  Moor,  and 
sat  apart  with  hira   asking  him    many  questions  ;  touching 
which  the  Moor  gave  hira  a  long  narrative  of  all  that  he  had 
seen  since  he  had  been  going  in  company  with  our  people. 
Then  the  King  spoke  with  his  magistrates  and  councillors, 
and  said  that  he  felt  much  pleasure  in  his  heart  at  seeing  our 
people  come  to  his  port  in  a  peaceable  and  amicable  manner, 
and  that  they  should  give  him  their  opinions,  because  he 
wished  not   to   err.     Upon  this  they  all  treated  the  tnatter, 
and  settled  that  the  King  should  receive  them   with  hospit- 
able entertainment,  because  there  were  no  such  evil  people 
in  the  world  as  to  do  evil  to  any  who  did  good  to  them  :  and 
even  should  the  Portuguese  not  be  good,  it  would  still  be  in 
his  power  to   turn   them   out  of  the  country,  or  to  do  them 
an  injury  if  they  had  deserved  it.     The  King  rejoiced  much 
at  this  answer,  and  at  acting  in  this  matter  with  the  favour- 
able opinion  of  his  own  people.     On  the  next  day  the  King 
sent   off  the  Moor,  and  with  him  his  casis,  an  old  man  of 
much  authority,  who  was  the  principal  priest  of  his  mosque, 
with  a  present  of  sheep,  fowls,  and  vegetables,  and  sent  to 
say  to  the   captain-major  by  the  Moor,  that  he  had  great 


114  PROCEEDINGS    AT    MELINDE. 

pleasure  in  seeing  him,  and  he  hoped  that  his  pleasure  vrould 
be  much  greater  when  he  should  have  established  sincere 
peace  and  friendship  with  them,  on  which  account  they 
should  at  once  enter  the  port,  and  then  come  on  shore  and 
repose  within  his  palaces.  When  the  captain-major  heard 
this,  he  showed  much  respect  to  the  casis,  because  the  Moor 
told  hira  that  the  King  had  sent  him  as  though  he  were  a 
prince,  his  own  son.  The  captain-major  ordered  them  to 
bring  hira  preserves  in  a  silver  vase  and  water  with  a  nap- 
kin ^  ;  and  then  had  the  ships  dressed  out  with  flags.  The 
pilot  whom  the  King  sent,  put  the  ships  into  their  place 
outside  of  many  other  ships  which  were  in  the  port,  also 
with  flags,  and  the  ships  fired  a  salute  with  all  their  artillery, 
so  that  the  cit}-  shook,  for  the  captain-major  ordered  the  dis- 
charge beneath  it  and  towards  the  outer  side,  and  he  ordered 
everything  to  be  settled  according  as  was  suitable,  and  on 
firing  they  threw  a  few  balls  from  the  large  guns  to  seaward, 
which  went  skimming  and  ricochetting  on  the  sea,  causing 
great  arnazement ;  and  the  trumpet  sounded.  At  this  all 
the  people  of  the  city  came  out  on  the  beach,  and  they  said 
that  a  single  one  of  those  shots  would  throw  down  the  whole 
city.  Whilst  the  captain-major  went  to  his  brother^s  ship, 
Nicolas  Coelho  remained  in  the  ship  as  captain.  When  they 
were  moored  the  captain-major  sent  his  answer  to  the  King 
by  the  Kasis,  with  great  compliments  of  courtesy  and  thanks 
for  what  he  had  sent,  and  to  say  that  they  were  there  to  do 
hira  any  service  which  he  might  command.  The  Kasis, 
seeing  that  they  were  sending  him  away,  said  that  the  King 
had  sent  him  to  stay  with  Vasco  de  Garaa  until  their  agree- 
ments of  peace  had  been  established,  and  everything  was 
made  secure ;  and  the  Moor  said  that  the  King  had  sent  the 
Kasis  to  stay  as  a  hostage.     But  the  Captain-major,  as  a 

>  A  mark  of  welcome  of  a  guest,  in  use  in  Turkey,  Persia,  Wallacliia, 
and  other  countries,  and  frequently  mentioned  as  in  use  in  Spain  in 
Calderon's  plays. 


I'ROCEEDINCS    A'l'    ]\rELTM)K.  115 

great  compliment,  and  in  order  to  show  the  great  confidence 
which  he  placed  in  the  King,  told  the  Kasis  to  say  to  the 
King  that  his  goodness  of  heart  was  sufficient,  so  that  all 
was  secure;  and  he  gave  the  Kasis  a  string  of  coral  for  liis 
prayers,  for  which  the  Kasis  made  him  very  courteous  salu- 
tations, and  uttered  many  good  wishes  and  words  of  praise. 
These   men  having  returned  to   the    King,    he   was    much 
pleased  at  seeing  such  confidence  in  our  men,  and,  in  speak- 
ing with  his  own  people,  he  said  that  men  who  did  not  wish 
to  do  evil  did  not  fear  evil.     Immediately  afterwards,  the 
Captain-major  sent  the  Moor  on  shore  to  say  to  the  King 
that  he  required  several  things  for  the  ships  and  for  the 
crews,  which  he  would  buy  with   his   mone}',   if  he  would 
grant  him  leave  to  send  with  the  broker  a  man  to  buy  them, 
and  not  let  them  be  defrauded.     He  sent  the  Moor  in  the 
boat,  v/hich  was  to  put  him  in  the  boat  of  a  Moorish  ship, 
and  not  go  ashore  ;  this  was  done,  and  a  boat  of  the  Moor's 
took  him  on  shore.  There  he  gave  his  message  to  the  King, 
who  gave  himself  up  to  leisure  with  the  Moor ;  and,  as  it  was 
late,  he  remained  with   the   King,  who   during  the  whole 
night  was   questioning  hira   about  many  things,  touching 
which  the  Moor  was  unable  to  give  him  information,  only 
he  told  him  of  the  benefits  and  largesses  which  he  had  seen 
the  Portuguese  bestowing  in  Mozambique,  where  the  Sheikh, 
coveting  the  plunder  which  he  might  have  gotten  in  the 
ships,  prepared  treachery  against  them ;  also  in  Quiloa  and 
Bombaza ;  and  that  they  had  done  no  harm  to  those  whom 
they  had  taken  in  the  sambuk,  neither  had  they  touched 
anything.     Upon  this  the  King  called  the  Moor  of  the  sam- 
buk, and  questioned  him  as  to  what  had  happened  of  what 
the  broker  had  been  saying.     The  Moor  threw  himself  at 
the  feet  of  the  King,  saying,  "  Sir,  the  Christians  who  are 
in  the  ships  are  such  men  that,  with  few  entreaties  which 
you  might  make  to  them,  you  would  deliver  me  from  cap- 
tivity, and  my  wife,  and  all  my  property  and  crew,  which 


/ 


116  GAMA    RKLEASKS    TKK    CAI'TATN 

'they  had  not  touched  at  all,  neither  had  they  done  any 
[harm."  Because,  on  reaching  his  sambuk,  Vasco  da  Gama 
ordered  him  to  strike  his  sail,  and  to  do  so  at  once  and 
obey  without  fighting,  for  if  he  fought  and  did  not  obey 
that  flag  which  he  carried  at  the  peak  which  was  of  the 
King  of  Portugal,  he  would  burn  them  all  and  send  them 
to  the  bottom  :  which  he  would  do  to  whomsoever  he  found 
at  sea  who  did  not  obey  him,  and  strike  without  resistance  : 
and  those  who  did  not  do  so  he  would  sink  them  all  to  the 
bottom.'  And  as  the  King  was  so  excellent  a  man,  that ; 
without  knowing  them  he  had  given  them  such  a  welcome,  ' 
Vasco  da  Gama  sent  him  those  men  and  their  sambuk  and 
property,  to  do  with  all  according  to  his  pleasure  :  and  he 
sent  a  boat  to  take  the  sambuk  in  tow  in  front  of  the 
houses,  and  the  Moorish  broker  to  go  and  present  them  all 
to  the  King.  When  this  was  heard  by  the  Moor,  and  by 
the  others,  they  raised  their  hands  to  heaven  with  loud  ex- 
clamations, saying  in  their  language  :  "  The  God  of  heaven 
requite  you  well,  and  all  your  company,  and  restore  you  to 
your  country  in  health  and  safety ;"  and  the  people  of  the 
ship  answered  Amen  !  Amen  !  a  good  voyage,  and  the 
Lord  of  his  mercy  give  us  safety.  At  the  shouts  and 
cries  of  the  Modr§7  which  were  heard  on  shore,  many 
people  flocked  down  to  the  beach,  and  the  boat  arrived  thus 
laden  with  Moors  and  the  sambuk  in  tow,  and  having 
landed  thcmi  on  the  beach,  the  boat  at  once,  returned  to  the 

'  This  may  seein  a  very  high-handed  proceeding,  partaking  more  of 
might  than  right,  and  due  to  the  Middle  Ages,  which  were  then  on  the 
point  of  concluding.  These  traditions  have  however  been  preserved  in 
the  same  seas,  as  appeared  from  a  letter  in  the  Times  in  the  summer  of 
18G7  from  an  J^nglisli  naval  officer,  who  complained  that  a  British  ship 
of  war  had  burned  a  dhow  or  sambuk  and  captured  the  crew  because 
they  had  no  papers  and  were  suspected  of  slave  trading,  though  they 
had  only  been  going  from  one  part  of  their  island  Johanna  (one  of  the 
(!omoro  Islands)  to  another,  and  had  been  blown  away  or  carried  away 
by  tl)e  currents  from  the  land. 


AND    CKEVV    OF    THE    SAMDUK.  117 

ship.  The  King's  page  and  the  broker  went  in  front,  and 
behind  them  the  old  Moor  with  his  women  and  people ;  and 
all  being  present  before  the  King,  the  page  gave  him  the 
message  of  the  captain-major :  then  all  threw  themselves 
down  before  the  King  to  kiss  his  feet,  with  exclamations  of 
great  praise  for  having  thus  delivered  them  from  captivity. 
The  King  showed  very  great  satisfaction  at  this,  holding  it 
to  be  greatly  to  his  honour  j  and  all  his  people  and  the  in- 
habitants of  the  city  spoke  much  in  praise  of  our  men.  On 
the  next  day  the  King  sent  to  say  to  the  captain-major, 
that  if  he  did  not  wish  to  come  on  shore,  that  he  would 
come,  to  see  him  in  the  ship,  and  that  this  he  would  surely 
do,  and  that  he  should  therefore  arrange  how  this  was  to 
be,  because  in  seeing  him  with  his  eyes,  his  heart  would  be 
at  rest  with  that  which  he  so  milch  desired.  When  the 
good  brothers  heard  this,  both  took  counsel  of  one  another. 
Vasco  da  Gama  said  that  as  at  sea  they  carried  their  lives 
at  all  hours  in  peril  of  the  hour  of  death,  so  it  befitted  them 
to  act  on  land,  risking  their  lives  and  persons  in  the  power 
of  the  Moors  and  Gentiles,  and  labouring  day  and  night  to 
establish  peace  and  friendship  with  these  new  peoples, 
which  God  showed  to  them:  but  what  it- necessarily  became 
them  to  do,  as  they  neither  saw  nor  understood  the  false- 
hoods, was  that  they  should  attend  to  preserving  themselves 
as  best  they  might,  placing  all  their  hopes  in  the  mercy  of 
God :  and  in  order  that  what  had  been  already  gained 
should  not  be  lost,  he  required  him,  his  good  brother,  for 
God's  sake,  as  the  eldest  which  he  was,  to  be  content  that 
he  as  the  younger  should  be  adventured  amongst  the  perils 
of  the  land,  whilst  he  ought  always  to  remain  at  sea,  being 
the  more  important:  for  should  it  be  the  case  that  the  Lord 
were  pleased  that  his  life  should  be  imperilled,  he  entreated 
him  to  return  at 'once  to  the  kingdom  to  give  news  to  the 
King  of  the  Bervice  ^vhich  he  had  rendered ;  and  so  his  soul 
would  go  to  rest  for  having  fulfilled  the  obligations  which 


118  PROCEEDINGS    AT    MELINDE. 

he  owed  to  God  aud  to  his  King.  Vasco  da  Gama  having 
made  this  entreaty  to  his  brother,  they  embraced  several 
times  with  many  tears,  and  sincere  love;  Paulo  da  Gama 
promising  him  to  do  as  he  requested  him,  and  praying  the 
Lord  God  to  have  mercy  upon  them.  This  agreement 
having  been  thus  made  between  the  good  brothers,  they 
settled  that  if  it  were  incumbent  on  Vasco  da  Gama  to  go 
on  shore,  he  would  do  it,  for  all  the  risk  that  there  was  in 
it,  if  the  King  requested  it,  in  order  to  make  some  begin- 
ning of  establishing  good  relations,  for  up  to  this  time  they 
had  done  nothing.  Then  he  sent  an  answer  to  the  King, 
saying,  that  God  had  brought  them  thither  where  they 
were,  because  knowing  that  he  as  so  noble  a  king  would  do 
them  good  and  entertain  them,  for  thus  also  did  the  great 
kings  and  princes  when  there  arrived  in  their  countries, 
foreign  men,  lost  and  wandering  as  they  had  come :  for 
which  reason  they  would  serve  him  like  his  own  subjects, 
in  all  services  which  he  might  command  them ;  only  as  to 
coming  on  shore,  that  they  could  not  do,  as  they  had  been 
forbidden  by  their  sovereign  to  land  in  foreign  countries,^ 

'  jCamoens,  Canto  ii,  83. 
E  nao  cuides  6  Key,  que  nao  sahisse 
O  nosso  Capitao  esclarecido 
A  verte,  ou  a  servirte,  porque  visse, 
Ou  sospeitasse  em  ti  peito  fingido-i 
Mas  saberils,  que  o  fez,  porque  comprigse 
O  regimento,  em  tudo  obedecido, 
I)e  seu  Rey,  quo  Ihe  manda  que  nao  saya, 
Deixando  a  frota  em  algura  porto,  ou  praya. 

84. 
E  porque  he  de  vassallos  o  exercicio, 
Que  OS  membros  tern  regidos  da  cabe^a, 
Nao  quererils,  pois  tens  de  Rey  o  officio, 
Que  ninguem  a  seu  Rey  desobedec^a : 
Mas  as  merces,  e  o  grande  beneficio, 
(iue  ora  acha  em  ti,  promete,  que  conhecja 
Em  tudo  aquillo,  que  cllo,  c  os  sous  pudorom, 
Em  quanlo  os  rios  para  o  mar  convrem. 


NICOLAS    COELIIO    VISITS    THE    KING.  119 

and  therefore  they  hoped  he  would  pardon  their  not 
complying  with  his  desires  on  this  occasion.  With  this 
answer  they  sent  him  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  another 
piece  of  crimson  satin,  and  a  large  mirror  of  Flanders  closed 
with  doors,  and  beautifully  gilt.  The  King,  on  receiving 
the  answer  and  the  present,  was  much  pleased,  and  all  his 
courtiers  praised  it  much,  and  took  pleasure  in  looking  at 
the  mirror  and  the  painted  figures  which  surrounded  it. 
The  King  found  himself  indisposed  that  night,  and  on  that 
account  did  not  go  to  the  sea,  as  he  had  determined  on  doing; 
and  he  sent  to  say  so,  and  that  since  they  could  not  come  on 
shore,  meanwhile,  until  he  should  be  well  again,  he  begged 
them  to  send  him  a  man  to  see  and  converse  with,  for  which 
he  had  a  strong  desire :  and  whatever  they  required  ho 
would  order  it  to  be  taken  to  them,  and  that  in  all  they 
should  do  as  though  they  were  in  their  own  country.  When 
Vasco  da  Grama  heard  this,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  King, 
from  its  being  so  very  desirable  to  gain  his  goodwill^  he 
sent  on  shore  Nicolas  Coelho,  very  well  dressed,  for  he  was 


83. 
And  if  our  Chief  refrains  to  tender  here 
His  homage  to  the  Ruler  of  the  hmd, 
Deem  not,  O  King,  that  he  is  held  by  fear 
Of  less  tlian  Kingly  usage  at  thy  hand : 
Hut  know  that  bound  by  the  restraint  severe 
Of  duty,  he  obeys  his  King's  command 
Tliat  till  his  orient  mission  be  complete, 
Nor  coast  nor  harbour  tempt  him  from  the  fleet. 

84. 
And  since  the  laws  of  vassalage  require 
Subservience  of  the  members  to  the  head, 
Thou,  holding  regal  office,  wilt  desire 
No  subject  a  forbidden  path  to  tread. 
15ut  for  the  gratitude  he  owes  thee,  Sire, 
He  vows,  'tis  all  he  can,  thy  fame  to  spread, 
And  pledges  too  his  nation's  friendship  won 
So  long  as  rivers  to  the  ocean  run. 

QuiUimin. 


120  NICOLAS    COELHO    VISITti    Tilt;    KING. 

a  well-conditioned  man,  of  courteous  bearing,  and  discreet. 
The  captains  gave  him  many  instructions  as  to  what  he  was 
to  do  and  to  say  and  answer,  and  that  in  the  evening,  with 
the  leave  of  the  King,  he  was  to  return  to  the  ship  to  sleep. 
He  went  in  the  boat  with  the  Moorish  broker  Davane,  and 
landed  on  a  quay  which  there  was  in  front  of  the  King's 
houses.  There  the  crowd  of  people  was  so  great,  that  the 
magistrates  could  not  make  them  keep  off  even  with  blows. 
On  arriving  before  the  King,  Nicolas .  Coelho  made  hira  a 
ceremonious  salutation,  which  the  King  was  pleased  at  see- 
ing, and  bade  him  sit  on  the  end  of  the  carpet  upon  which 
he  was  seated,  upon  a  stool  two  spans  high,  covered  with  a 
cloth  of  common  brocade,  and  the  stool  was  worked  with 
gold  and  inlaid  with  ivory.  lu  that  place  with  the  Moor  he 
asked  him  many  questions  of  his  coining  and  navigation, 
and  of  the  affairs  of  Portugal.  He  gave  the  King  an 
account  how  the  King  of  Portugal  had  a  name  like  God, 
that  he  was  called  Manoel,  and  that  he  was  the  greatest 
Christian  sovereign  that  there  was  in  the  world,  and  that 
he  took  so  many  thousand  horsemen  to  the  wars  against 
people  who  refused  to  obey  him;  which  wars  he  conducted 
by  land  and  sea,  in  which  he  always  had  a  fleet  of  two  hun- 
dred ships  :  and  that  he  had  so  many  cities  and  towns,  and 
had  such  revenues,  that  every  month  he  put  into  his  trea- 
sury two  hundred  thousand  cruzados^  beyond  his  expendi- 
ture :  and  that  from  his  desire  to  know  of  new  countries,  he 
had  sent  a  hundred  ships  to  make  discoveries  at  sea,  and  to 
return  to  him  with  all  the  merchandise  which  they  found, 
especially  pepper  and  drugs ;  and  all  had  full  regulations  as 
to  what  they  were  to  do,  above  all  that  they  were  not  to  do 
harm  to  anyone  unless  they  did  it  to  them  :  they  were  not 
to  land  in  any  countries  except  with  their  captain-major, 
under  pain  of  death.  They  had  set  sail  thus  with  this  fleet, 
which,  he  said,  was  going  to  a  very  distant  country,  and 
'  A  cruzddo  -^  '2i.  dJ.  =  aiuiuiil  surplus  of  £3oO,UU(.t. 


PliOCEEDINUS    AT    MKLINUE.  121 

liatl  bccii  separated  from  the  fleet  by  a  storm,  and  two  years 
had  passed  that  they  had  been  going  about  as  lost  upon  the 
sea,  without  knowing  their  course,  nor  whither  they  were 
going,  experiencing  frequent  storms  and  great  hardships,  of 
which  so  many  of  their  people  had  died,  that  they  had 
broken  up  another  sliip,  for  they  were  three,  and  so  these 
two  remained  in  which  they  were  voyaging,  and  would  havo 
to  continue  their  voyage  until  they  reached  that  country 
Vhich  they  were  going  to  seek,  in  order  to  bring  back  in- 
formation to  their  King;  and  if  they  did  not  find  it,  or  meet 
with  their  fleet,  they  would  go  on  running  along  countries 
until  all  died,  because  they  did  not  know  how  to  return  to 
their  country  for  their  pilot  had  died.  Nicolas  Coelho  thus 
related  many  other  tlr'ngs,  which  the  King  asked  him 
about,  until  the  setting  of  the  sun,  when  he  asked  leave  of 
the  King,  and  returned  to  the  ship  :  and  the  King  ordered 
him  to  be  carried  in  his  boat,  in  which  he  went  pleased  and 
smiling,  for  it  was  very  much  gilt  and  splendid.  The  King 
gave  him  two  very  fine  white  cloths,  and  two  coloured  silk 
cloths  with  gold  fringes,  and  a  ring  with  a  blue  stone  very 
pretty  to  look  at.  Afterwards  he  returned  other  times  to 
shore  when  he  was  called  for  by  the  King,  who  always  sent 
to  visit  the  captains  and  inquire  after  all  the  people  of  the 
ships.  In  order  that  the  King  should  not  be  put  to  ex- 
pense for  them,  they  sent  a  ship-boy,  one  of  the  banished 
men,  with  the  Moorish  broker,  to  go  through  the  city  to 
buy  all  that  they  required,  and  the  purchases  were  made 
with  silver  testoons,  which  went  for  double  their  worth. 
During  all  these  days  the  King  constantly  held  council  with 
his  wise  men,  who  assured  him  that  the  peace  which  he 
should  establish  with  our  people  would  last  for  ever,  so  long 
as  they  themselves  did  not  break  it,  and  that  our  people 
would  come  to  be  lords  of  India  and  of  many  countries,  and 
of  fleets  which  wore  to  come,  and  that  he  would  see  it  all 
thus   with  his   own   eyes,  whilst  he  lived  ;   meantime,  it  was 


122  VASCO    AND    PAULO    DA    GAMA 

good  counsel  to  obtain  our  friendship  by  such  proceedings 
that  it  should  remain  good  for  ever.  This  counsel  the 
King  in  his  heart  readily  proposed  to  follow,  and  he  fre- 
quently talked  of  it  with  his  people  who  thus  advised  him, 
because  things  with  a  good  beginning  have  a  good  ending. 
Then  the  King  pressed  the  captains  much  to  come  and 
speak  to  him,  because  it  was  very  requisite,  for  if  they  did 
!not  see  and  speak  to  each  other,  nothing  would  be  done 
iwell  by  messengers.  For  which  reason  the  captains  also 
agreed  to  do  so,  and  they  sent  to  say  to  the  King  that 
since  such  was  his  desire,  and  they  also  greatly  desired  to 
do  it,  that  if  he  would  approve  of  it,  they  might  see  one 
another  in  the  sea,  where  they  would  come  in  their  boats 
to  the  edge  of  the  shore,  since  they  could  not  come  on 
shore  :  with  which  the  King  was  content.  The  day  being 
fixed  upon  which  they  were  to  have  an  interview  with  the 
King,  the  captains  dressed  themselves  nobly  and  very  splen- 
didly,^ with  all  the  men  who  were  to  take  part  in  this  :  and 
each  of  them  went  in  his  boat  seated  on  chairs  covered  with 

'  Camoens,  Canto  ii,  97. 
Nao  menos  guarnecido  o  Lusitano, 
Nos  seus  bateis  da  frota  se  partia 
A  receber  no  mar  o  Melindano, 
Com  lustrosa  e  honrada  companhia. 
Vestido  o  Gama  vem  ao  modo  Hispano, 
Mas  Francesa  era  a  roupa,  que  vestia, 
De  cetim  da  Adriatica  Veneza, 
Carmesi,  cor  que  a  geute  tanto  preza. 

97. 
Nor  less  of  pomp  the  Lusitanian  shows 
When,  with  his  gallant  retinue,  advance 
The  Armada's  boats,  midway  to  welcome  those 
Of  the  Melindan  on  the  bay's  expanse. 
Clad  in  the  vogue  of  Spain  Da  Gama  goes, 
All  but  the  cloak,  a  gorgeous  robe  of  France, 
The  web  Venetian  satin,  and  the  dye 
A  gloiious  crimson  that  delights  the  eye. 

Q  uiUinan. 


VISIT    THE    KINO    OF    MELINDE.  123 

critnson  velvet,  and  carpets  underneath,  and  the  sides  of  the 
boats  were  spread  with  woollen  rugs,  on  which  the  men  sat. 
The  boats  had  two  swivel  guns  each,  which  they  always  carried, 
and  two  cannoneers,  and  many  flags;  and  on  leaving  the  ships 
they  fired  several  guns  which  they  pointed  outside,  that  the 
firing  of  the  cannon  tnight  not  do  any  harm  to  the  shipping. 
The  two  boats,  side  by  side,  came  to  the  edge  as  near  as 
they  could  come,  where  the  King  was  waiting  for  them,  with 
all  the  people  of  the  city  who  could  not  find  room  on  the 
beach,  houses,  and  walls  of  the  city.  Having  arrived  there, 
they  saw  the  King,  and  both  performed  great  cpurtesies 
and  salutations  to  him,  and  the  King  returned  them  suit- 
ably. Then  the  King,  much  pleased,  ordered  his  men  (as 
the  sea  was  calm)  to  take  and  place  him  in  the  boats,  where 
they  on  board  received  him,  kneeling  with  one  knee  on  the 
ground,  and  paying  him  great  honours  and  courtesy;  and  in 
the  bows  of  the  boat  Ihey  spread  a  carpet  and  set  a  chair 
upon  which  the  King  sat  down.  Paulo  da  Gama,  by  means 
of  the  interpreter,  who  was  the  slave  that  spoke  Arabic 
(which  the  King  knew  how  to  speak),  and  whom  they  had 
brought  well  dressed,  said  to  the  King :  "  Sire,  great  King,  [ 
you  are  doing  us  such  great  honour  at  this  hour,  that  from 
this  day  forward  we  remain  bound  to  you  like  your  own 
vassals,'  if  you  are  pleased  to  establish  peace  and  friendship 
with  the  King  of  Portugal  our  Sovereign,  as  his  true  bro- 
ther." To  which  the  King  answered  :  ''God  knows  that  I 
have  already  determined  upon  that  in  my  heart,  and  that  it 

1  Camoens,  Canto  ii,  104. 
O  tu,  que  so  tiveste  piedade, 
Rey  benigno,  da  gente  Lusitana, 
Que  com  tanta  miseria,  e  adversidade 
Dos  mares  exprimenta  a  furia  insana  : 
Aquella  alta,  e  divina  Eternidade, 
(iue  o  Ceo  revolve,  e  rege  a  gente  humana, 
Pois  que  de  ti  taes  obras  recebcmos, 
To  pague  o  que  nosoutros  nao  podemos. 


124  VISIT    TO    TIIK    KING 

is  what  I  desire  day  and  night  and  always,  and  it  greatly 
gratifies  me,  from  this  time  forward  for  ever,  as  long  as  I 
live,  to  have  a  true  brotherhood  with  your  King  of  Portugal 
as  long  as  I  live,  which  I  thus  affirm  upon  my  religion." 
Upon  this  the  captains  put  themselves  on  their  knees,  trying 
to  kiss  his  hand,  and  the  King  made  them  rise,  at  which  the 
crews  of  the  boats  shouted  "Welcomed  the  Lord  be 
praised!"  and  the  trumpets  sounded,  and  the  ships  again 

'  Boa  viagem. 


105. 
Til  so  de  todos  quantos  queima  Apollo, 
Nos  recebeste  em  paz  do  mar  profundo, 
Em  ti  dos  veiitos  horridos  de  Eolo 
Kofugio  achamos  bom,  fido,  e  jocundo : 
Em  quanto  apacentar  o  largo  polo 
As  estrellas,  e  o  Sol  der  lume  ao  mundo 
Oude  qiier  que  eu  viver  com  fama,  e  gloria, 
Vivirao  teus  louvores  em  memoria. 

104. 
O  Thou,  the  King  benign,  in  whom  alone 
We  find  compassion  of  our  lorn-  estate. 
We  who  till  now  but  misery  have  known 
In  weary  coil  with  seas  infuriate  ; 
May  He  who  guides  from  His  eternal  throne 
The  spheres  of  heaven  and  course  of  human  fate, 
lluquite  thy  signal  bounty,  royal  Moor, 
Since  we  in  all  but  gratitude  are  poor. 

105. 
From  none  but  thee  beneath  the  torrid  ray 
Has  peace  consoled  the  strangers  from  the  deep  ; 
In  thee  at  last  a  solace  and  a  stay 
Are  ours,  and  refuge  from  the  whirlpool's  sweep  : 
For  which  while  earth  shall  know  the  light  of  day. 
While  either  pole  its  starry  flock  shall  keep, 
Where'er  may  live  Da  (iama's  name,  be  sure. 
In  fame  and  glory  will  thy  praise  endure. 

Quill  inan. 
Osorio  says  that  the  King  of  Melinde  was  very  old,  and  that  ho  was 
of  a  gentle  and  benignant  disposition. 


OF    MELINDE    IX    'J'TIK    nAnii(t[-R.  125 

fired  their  artillery;  for  so  it  had  been  ordered  that  when  the 
trumpets  sounded  on  shore  the  artillery  should  fire.  All  this 
took  place  close  to  the  beach^  and  all  the  King's  people  saw 
it.  Then  Vasco  da  Gaina  took  a  splendid  sjvvord,  which  he 
had  brought  in  a  case  made  for  it^  which  was  of  enamelled 
gold,  very  handsome,  with  its  bolts,  very  magnificent,  such 
as  it  was  the  custom  to  usc>  at  that  time,  and  a  lance  of  gilt 
iron,  and  a  buckler  lined  with  crimson  satin  worked  with 
gold  thread,  and  presented  them  all  to  the  King,  saying  : 
"Sire,  at  the  accomplishment  of  great  deeds  arms  are 
offered,  as  a  mark  of  true  friendship  and  brotherhood,  which 
we  do  to  you  at  this  moment  as  a  sign  of  your  sincerity,  in 
the  name  of  our  King  Manoel,  who  is  the  greatest  that  is  in 
the  world ;  for  it  is  his  custom  to  present  arms  to  any  new 
friend  and  brother  whom  he  adopts,  and  to  certify  his  sin- 
cerity he  gives  him  arms  in  order  to  assist  and  defend  him 
with  them,  because  with  the  sword  the  greatest  honour  in 
the  world  is  gained,  which  is  that  of  knighthood ;  and  who- 
ever breaks  the  friendship  which  he  forms  by  the  gift  of  the 
sword,  remains  with  his  honour  lost  for  ever ;  therefore. 
Sire,  we  give  you  this  sword  and  arms  in  the  name  of  our 
King,  and  promise  to  maintain  sincere  peace  and  friendship 
with  you  for  ever,  as  with  the  brother  of  our  sovereign  the 
King  of  Portugal,  whom  you  have  now  adopted  as  a  new 
brother."  The  King  again  answered :  "  I  promise  and 
swear  by  my  religion  for  ever  to  comply  with  true  peace  and 
friendship  with  the  King  of  Portugal,  my  new  brother,  and 
never,  as  long  as  I  live,  to  be  wanting  to  him  in  anything, 
nor  to  break  that  which  I  now  speak  before  all  my  people ; 
and  I  hold  it  to  be  good  fortune  to  possess  the  friendship  of 
so  great  a  King  as  is  yours."'     Then  Vasco  da  Gama  said 

^  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  the  Viceroy  D.  Francisco 
D'Almeida  to  the  King,  written  after  the  death  of  his  son  in  1507,  and 
published  for  the  first  time  in  the  Annaea  das  sciencias  e  lettras,  1858, 
speaks  of  the  subsequent  conduct  of  the  Portuguese  at  Melinde  : — 


126  VASCO    DA    GAMA    VISITS 

to  the  King  that  he  begged  and  earnestly  entreated  him  to 
charge  and  recommend  to  the  broker,  and  to  the  pilot  whom 
they  had  brought  from  Mozambique,  and  who  had  conducted 
them  so  far,  to  guide  them  well  to  that  country  to  which 
he  was  taking  them  ;  and  he  said  that  in  it  there  were 
drugs,  and  perhaps  there  they  might  fall  in  with  the  ships 
of  their  company,  because  they  were  desirous  of  departing 
soon.  At  this  the  King  laughed,  and  said  that  they  should 
rest  themselves,  because  he  would  direct  them  by  a  better 
course  than  that  which  they  had  hitherto  followed,  and  that 
they  should  return  to  their  ships,  and  that  next  day  he 
would  tell  them  that  which  would  be  very  suitable  to  them. 
"With  that  he  gave  them  leave  to  depart.  The  King  re- 
mained on  the  beach,  looking  on  at  the  joy  with  which  our 
people  went  away,  shouting  and  sounding  the  trumpets,  and 
on  reaching  the  ships  they  were  received  with  loud  cries 
which  were  heard  on  shore.  The  good  brothers  returned 
highly  delighted,  and  gave  an  account  of  what  had  passed 
to  Nicolas  Coelho,  who  was  a  man  of  good  understanding ; 
and  all  prayed  the  Lord  to  guide  them  in  his  holy  service. 
Next  day,  in  the  morning,  the  King  sent  to  say  that  his 
heart  had  rested  that  night  with  great  comfort  on  account 
of  what  they  had  done  ;  and  therefore,  as  for  an  affair  of  the 
King  his  brother,  he  begged  them  to  come  on  shore,  be- 

"  Your  Highness  is  as  you  know  so  much  indebted  to  the  King  of 
IMelinde,  and  for  good  example's  sake  he  ought  to  be  greatly  honoured 
by  Y.  H.  and  favoured  with  advantages,  since  he  has  given  and  con- 
tinues to  give  such  good  reception  and  equipment  to  your  fleets  and 
crews  that  put  in  there ;  in  repayment  of  which  your  captains  commit 
such  disorders  amidst  the  security  which  they  find  in  that  country,  that 
they  do  him  such  great  injuries,  that  the  King  would  no  longer  have  re- 
mained there,  if  he  had  not  been  sustained  by  letters  from  here  [^from 
himself  at  Goa\  and  empty  words  of  wliich  he  never  sees  the  fruit. 
They  say  that  you  are  sending  there  Sancho  de  Pedrosa  as  factor :  of 
two  things  one  will  happen,  either  the  Moors  will  kill  him  for  you,  with 
the  people  who  go  with  him,  or  the  King  will  depose  himself  from  the 
country ;  and  D.  Alvaro  will  give  Your  Highness  the  details  of  this." 


TFIE    KING    IN     [IIS    PALACE.  127 

cause  it  was  very  fitting.  And  because  tlieyhad  agreed  to  it, 
Vasco  da  Gama  at  once  went  in  his  boat,  which  was  well 
equipped,  and  accompanied  by  twelve  men  well  dressed ;  on 
the  beach  he  was  received  by  the  King's  principal  gentle- 
men  and  very  many  people,   and   on   reaching   the   King's 
houses  he  came  to  the  door  to  receive  Vasco  da  Gama,  and 
embraced  him,  and  the  captain-major  put  his  knee  on  the 
ffi'ound  and  made  much  courteous  salutation.^     The  Kinsr 
asked  for  his  brother,  and  he  replied  that  he  had  been  in- 
disposed in  the  night,  and  for  that  had  not  come.  The  King 
sat  down  on  a  dais  upon  silk  coverings,  where  he  made  the 
Captain-major  sit ;  he  made  great  compliments  and  excuses, 
but  the  King  would  not  admit  of  anything  unless  he  sat  by 
his  side ;  and  in  the  presence  of  his  people  he  said,  "  The 
friendship  which  I  have  established  with  the  King,  my  bro- 
ther, which  you  have  conferred  upon  me,  time  will  show  its 
sincerity  in  my  heart ;  and  I  have  become  fully  informed  of 
all  your  affairs,  and  of  the  fortune  which  you  have  experi- 
enced, which  increases  my  desire  still  more  to  assist  you  and 
favour  you  in  everything,  as  I  am  bound  to  do,  since  God 
brought  you  to  this  city  of  mine  to  give  me  such  satisfaction 
as  I  have  in  my  heart ;  and  with  respect  to  the  course  which 
you  wish  to  make  to  Cambay,  where  the  broker  wishes  you 
to  go,  it  is  not  a  good  one,  because  in  Cambay  there  are  not 
the  things  which  you  seek  for,  except  when  other  people 
bring  them  there  from  abroad,  and  they  cost  much,  because 

»  Barros  appears  to  have  reduced  these  two  interviews  to  one,  for  he 
says  that  according  to  the  agreement  with  his  brother,  Vasco  da  Gama 
came  alone  to  visit  the  King  in  one  of  the  sambuks,  whilst  Paulo  da 
Gama  and  Nicolas  Coelho  remained  in  the  ships  with  the  anchors  apeak 
so  as  to  be  ready  for  any  necessity,  and  that  the  men  in  the  boats 
carried  concealed  arms.  Barros  says  that  when  the  artillery  fired,  the 
Melinde  people  were  alarmed  and  were  ready  to  return  on  shore,  but 
that  Vasco  da  Gama  made  a  sign  to  cease  firing  and  allayed  their  per- 
turbation. With  unworthy  suspicions  on  one  side,  and  panic  at  un- 
usual sights  on  the  other,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  the  misunderstandings 
arose  at  ^lozambique  and  Mombaza. 


128  PROCKKDINGS    AT    MELTNDE. 

those  people  make  their  profit  upon  them  ;  but  I  will  set  you 
in  the  right  way,  and  will  give  you  pilots  to  take  you  to  the 
City  of  Calecut,  which  is  in  the  country  where  the  pepper 
and  ginger  grows,  and  thither  come  from  other  parts  all  the 
other  drugs,  and  whatever  merchandise  there  is  in  these 
parts,  of  which  you  can  buy  that  which  you  please,  enough 
to  fill  the  ships,  or  a  hundred  ships,  if  you  had  so  many : 
only  you  need  that  your  broker  Davane  consent  to  go  with 
you,  for  he  knows  the  price  of  the  things,  for  you  not  to  be 
cheated  in  buying  and  selling ;  and  you  must  not  give  for 
the  things  more  than  they  are  worth  in  the  country,  because 
that  is  a  thing  which  would  do  much  injury  to  the  other 
merchants,  and  with  respect  to  which  at  times  contention 
arises."  The  King  then  spoke  to  Davane  the  broker,  who 
was  present,  and  asked  him  if  what  he  had  said  was  true, 
and  he  answered  that  it  was.  Then  the  King  begged  him, 
since  he  kn^w  the  whole,  to  consent  to  go  with  our  people 
to  assist  them,  and  instruct  them  in  matters  for  which  he 
was  so  fitted,  and  that  the  Captain-major  would  pay  him  well. 
The  Captain-major  was  much  pleased  at  what  he  heard  the 
King  say,  and  at  this  of  the  broker,  he  spoke  to  the  King,  and 
said  :  "  Sir,  the  pay  which  I  will  give  to  Davane,  and  to  as 
many  as  speak  truly  to  me,  I  promise  and  swear  by  the  life 
of  my  king,  that  it  shall  be  so  good  that  always  wherever 
there  be  Portuguese,  people  shall  come  and  seek  them  to  assist 
them ;  and  if  Davan^  should  go  with  me,  and  should  like  to 
return  with  me,  he  will  tell  you  of  the  good  pay  which  I  will 
give  him,  because.  Sire,  I  promise  you  by  the  life  of  my 
sovereign,  that  on  returning  from  Calecut,  we  will  come  here 
to  give  an  account  of  all  that  we  meet  Avith  of  good  or  of 
evil,  because  if  we  meet  with  good,  to  give  you  the  pleasure 
which  you  will  feel  at  the  good  you  are  doing  us,  and  if  evil 
should  come  to  us  we  will  come  to  ask  you  to  share  our 
gi'ief."  To  which  Davane  replied,  "  Sire,  I  would  be  glad 
to  go  to  Calecut  and   over  all  the  world  with  the   Portu- 


I'ROCEEDINGS    AT    MEUNDE.  129 

guese,  on  account  of  what  I  have  seen  and  understood 
since  I  have  been  going  in  their  company,  therefore  as 
long  as  they  desire  I  will  serve  them,  for  that  the  pay 
will  be  good,  of  tliat  I  am  very  sure/'  For  which  the 
King  expressed  his  thanks  to  him.  Then  the  Captain- 
major  told  the  King  that  there  was  not  to  be  found  in  the 
city  the  provisions  which  they  wanted  more  than  anything 
else,  which  was  wheat,  of  which  they  found  very  little, 
and  required  a  great  deal,  because  it  was  the  principal  food 
of  the  Portuguese,  with  which  they  made  biscuit.  The 
King  said  that  if  they  had  any  of  it,  to  show  it :  and  a  skiff 
was  at  once  sent  for  some  to  the  ship,  and  brought  it.  The 
King  looked  at  it,  and  said  that  there  was  no  wheat  in  the 
country,  that  the  merchants  brought  it  from  Cambay,  and 
that  they  only  brought  some  for  his  food,  because  it  was 
not  an  article  of  merchandise,  and  that  search  should  be 
made  for  as  much  as  was  in  the  city,  but  a  person  was 
wanted  who  knew  how  to  make  it.  The  captain-major  said 
that  he  would  have  it  made,  and  that  he  wanted  it  soon, 
because  he  wanted  to  go  away  at  once,  for  this  was  at  the 
end  of  May  of  the  year  1498.  The  King  replied  that  the 
ship  would  not  have  weather  for  the  voyage  till  three 
months  hence,  that  it  would  have  to  be  in  the  month  of 
August,  which  was  the  time  of  the  monsoon  for  the  naviga- 
tion. At  which  the  captain-major  was  enraged  in  his  heart, 
and  said  he  should  be  glad  to  go  immediately,  because  he 
had  much  hope  that  there  in  Calecut  he  should  find  his 
companions.  The  King  said  to  him  that  on  leaving  this 
place  he  had  to  cross  the  sea  for  the  coast  of  India,  and  they 
could  not  voyage  except  with  the  monsoon,  because  it  was 
winter  on  the  opposite  coast,  and  there  were  great  storms 
in  which  they  would  be  lost,  and  therefore  they  could  not  do 
anything  more  than  wait  for  the  monsoon ;  and  that  they 
should  rest  themselves  whilst  they  prepared  what  they  had 
need  of.    Upon  this  Vasco  da  Gama  took  leave  and  returned 


130  PROCEEDINGS    AT    MELINDE. 

to  the  ship,  for  it  was  now  time  to  dine^  so  that  the  King 
was  very  urgent  that  he  should  dine  with  him.  The  captain- 
major  excused  himself  with  many  compliments;  and  on 
reaching  the  ship^  he  saw  a  boat  from  the  shore  laden  with 
large  copper  kettles  and  cauldrons  of  boiled  rice,  and  very 
fat  sheep  roasted  whole,  and  boiled,  and  much  good  butter, 
and  thin  cakes  of  wheat  and  rice  flour,  and  many  fowls 
boiled  and  roast,  stuffed  with  rice  inside ;  also  much  vege- 
tables and  figs,  cocoa-nuts,  and  sugar  canes ;  and  all  in 
such  quantity  that  all  the  crews  of  the  ships  were  sated.  1 
The  captains  sat  down  at  once  at  their  table,  which  was 
set  out,  and  ate  of  what  the  King  had  sent,  for  their  men 
to  see  the  confidence  which  they  placed  in  him,  that  he 
would  not  give  them  poison  :  and  the  first  thing  the  King 
asked  was  whether  the  captains  had  eaten,  and  they  told  him 
they  had,  at  which  the  King  showed  great  satisfaction,  see- 
ing the  confidence  which  our  people  had  in  him,  of  which  he 
talked  much  with  his  people.  The  captain-major  sent  his 
thanks  to  the  King  for  what  he  had  sent  him,  and  sent  to 
him  some  preserved  pears  between  two  silver  basins,  which 
he  cut  into  quarters  with  a  knife,  and  with  a  silver-gilt  fork 
he  took  some  of  the  pear,  and  touched  the  other  pieces  and 
ate  it,  and  covered  up  the  basins  with  a  napkin,  and  gave 
them  over  to  a  servant  of  the  King  who  brought  the  food ; 
and  he  sent  the  broker  with  a  message  to  the  King,  that  the 
conserves  were  to  be  taken  with  water  after  dinner.  The 
King  was  much  pleased  with  it,  and  ate  of  the  conserve, 
taking  it  with  the  fork,  also  to  show  how  much  he  trusted 
the  captains.  Vasco  da  Gama  talked  over  with  his  brother 
and  Nicolas  Coelho  all  that  had  passed  with  the  King,  with 
which  they  were  all  much  gratified,  except  for  the  long  de- 
tetition  which  they  would  have  to  undergo  there,  and  dread- 
ing that  during  that  time  the  King^s  goodwill  might  change, 
or  that  some  event  might  happen  by  which  that  which  had 
been  accomplished  might  be  damaged ;  but  in  this  there  was 


PROCKEDINGS  AT  MELINDE.  131 

nothing  for  it,  but  to  commend  themselves  to  God,  for 
everything  was  in  his  power ;  and  to  take  good  precautions 
with  the  crews,  that  they  should  not  go  ashore,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  sick  men  for  recreation  Avho  would  return 
to  sleep  on  board.  Also  that  the  broker  should  always  stay 
with  the  King,  because  in  his  presence  there  would  not  be 
any  Moors  who  would  speak  ill  of  our  people.  For  that  rea- 
son, when  the  broker  returned  on  board  with  the  King's 
acknowledgments,  they  spoke  to  him  at  length  of  all  that 
was  incumbent  upon  him,  which  was  as  follows  :  ''  Since 
they  had  great  confidence  in  him  as  in  a  son  of  their  own, 
and  they  put  all  their  repose  in  his  hands,  it  was  fitting  that 
he  should  always  be  with  the  King,  because,  whilst  he  was 
present,  there  would  be  no  Moor  to  speak  evil  to  the  King 
against  our  men.  For  he  well  knew  the  treachery  which 
the  sheikh  of  Mozambique  had  wished  to  carry  out,  without 
any  cause,  and  so  in  Quiloa  and  Bombaza ;  and  this  only  on 
account  of  the  false  inducements  made  to  them  by  the 
foreign  Moors,  who  were  trading  merchants,  who  went  about 
those  countries  with  their  merchandise,  and  did  not  wish 
that  others  should  take  away  their  profits,  and  for  this  they 
were  their  adversaries,  considering  that  if  we  traded  in 
these  countries  with  their  merchandise  we  should  take  away 
their  gains;  and  to  impede  this,  they  had  put  into  the  heads 
of  the  Sheikh  of  Mozambique  and  of  the  Kings  of  Quiloa 
and  Bombaza,  that  we  were  robbers  who  went  about  to 
plunder  and  take  other  men's  countries ;  because,  if  the 
kings  and  rulers  of  these  countries  were  to  believe  them, 
they  would  do  us  injuries,  and  we  might  do  harm  to  them  in 
these  countries,  so  that  they  would  believe  that  it  was  the 
truth  which  they  had  said  of  us,  and  this  reputation  would 
run  through  all  countries,  so  that  we  should  be  ill  received, 
and  should  not  be  able  to  trade,  which  was  what  they  de- 
sired ;  and  since  we  were  obliged  to  remain  in  this  place 
until  the   time   for  departure,  we   had   apprehensions  that 


132  PROCEEDINGS   AT    MELINDE. 

some  bad  Moors  might  speak  to  the  King  from  envy  of  our 
good  understanding  and  friendship,  which   he   had    esta- 
blished with  us,  which  the  Moors  would  not  venture  to  do 
if  you  are  present,  by  which  we  shall  be  at  rest  and  secure 
that  no  one  will  do  us  harm."  When  the  Moor  had  heard  all 
this,  he  replied  :  "  Gentlemen,  since  I  am  a  Moor,  how  is  it 
that  you  trust  to  me  to  act  faithfully  by  you  ?  "  The  captain- 
major  answered  him  :  "  My  heart  tells  me  that  you  are  our 
true  friend,  and  that  much  good  has  come  to  us  from  you, 
and  therefore  I  put  everything  into  your  hands,  and  do  you 
do  that  which  your  heart  bids  you."     The  Moor  repUed  : 
"  May  God   do  to   me  that  which  I  desire  to   do  to  you." 
The  cafre,  who  interpreted  for  the  Moor,  said  then  to  the 
captains,  "  Sir,  this  man  very  taibo ;"  which  meant  that  he 
was  very  good,^  at  which  the  Moor  was  much  pleased,  and 
said  that  so  they  should  name  him ;  then  from  that  time 
forward  they  called  him   Taibo.     Then  the   captain-major 
gave  him  a  gold  chain  of  the  value  of  thirty  cruzados,  and 
told  him  always  to  wear  it,  and  he  put  it  round  Davaue's 
neck.     The  Moor  said  that  he  would  wear  it  when  he  went 
amongst  good  people,  because  it  was  a  danger  to  show  gold 
amongst  bad  people.      Then  they  settled  that   he   should 
have  a  testoon  a-day  for  himself,  and  they  gave  him  at  once 
a  hundred   testoons,  which  he  took   and  gave  to  Nicolas 
Coelho  to  keep  for  him ;  and  with  the  honour  of  the  chain, 
he  went  off  to  show  it  to  the  King,  who  rejoiced  very  much 
at  seeing  him   so  pleased,  on  which  account  he  also  gave 
him  a  cabaya  of  silk  stuff,  which  the  King  took  off  from 
himself  and  gave  to  him.     Cabaya  is  a  garment  such  as  a 

'  This  incident  is  the  probable  origin  of  the  name  which  has  been 
handed  down  by  Castanheda  as  that  of  the  Moor  of  Calecut  who  spoke 
Spanish  ;  he  confirms  indirectly  Correa's  account  when  he  says,  cap.  xv, 
"he  said  his  name  was  Monzaide,  and  this  name  was  corrupted  by  the 
Portuguese  and  changed  to  Bomtaibo,  as  all  those  called  him  who  went 
in  this  voyage,  knowing  him  as  a  Portuguese." 


PKOCEEDINGS    AT    MELINDE.  133 

pnlote^  is  with  us.     This  act  was  a  great  advantage  to  our 
people,  as  will  be  seen  further  on,  for  the  good  faith  which 
this   Moor  always   observed  to   our  men.     The  crews  also  I 
knew  of  the  honour  which  had  been  shown  by  the  King  to  \ 
the  Moor,  on   seeing  his  chain,  and   the  name  which  had  \ 
been  newly  given  him,  which  was  Taibo,  which  meant  good. 
The  King  had  been  joking  with  him  and  saying,  that  since  1 
they  had  given  him  the  name  of  good,  that  he  should  be  it,  i 
because  he  also  would  give  him  a  recompense.    So  the  good  ' 
brothers  and  all  gave  great  thanks  to  the  Lord  for  having 
brought    them    to    such   a   good    King,    and    for    having 
guided  them  into  the  good  path  which  they  were  following. 
For  this  reason  it  was  incumbent  upon  them  to  maintain  all 
ceremony  with  the  King,  and  all  the  forms  and  obligations 
of  friendship  that  he  would  accept,  in  order  to  preserve  his 
friendship,  and  that  of  the  people  of  the  country,  and  so  to 
dispose  their  affairs  that  they  should  advance  from  good  to 
better,  and  to  show  the  King  the  great  confidence  they  had 
in  him,  and  always  go  ashore  whenever  he  should  call  them, 
and  not  go  beyond  his  will  in  anything.     They  then  called 
the  masters  and  pilots,  and  told  them  that,  they  would  have 
to  remain  there  till  August,  when  it  would  be  the  monsoon 
in  which  they  would  depart,  and  of  the  good  state  in  which 
affairs  stood,  and  that  meantime  they  would  equip  and  refit 
the  ships  with  what  was  necessary,  all  which  was  discussed 
among  them,  and  they  took  measures  for  heeling  over  the 
ships,  laden  just  as  they  were,  and  they  caulked  the  sides 
as  much  as  they  could,  and  the  decks  and  upper  works,  and 
pitched  it  all  over  with  pitch  of  the  country,  which  was  very 
good  and  with  a  good  smell ;   and  they  made  ropes  of  coir, 
which  is  a  thread  which  the  people  of  the  country  make  of 
the  husks  which  the  cocoa-nuts  have  outside,  and  which  is 
so  abundant,  that  in  the  whole  of  India  they  do  not  use  any 

'  Cabaya  is  the  Jubbeh ;  pelote  is  a  pelisse  with  skins  inside.  The 
gifts  of  the  chain  and  dress  were  both  honorific  distinctions  of  more 
value  than  tlicir  actual  cost.  ' 


134  THE    KING    OF    MELINDE 

other  thread  for  the  rigging  and  cables ;  they  are  soft 
and  stretch,  for  which  reason  they  are  more  serviceable 
than  our  cables,  and  in  salt-water  they  are  stronger.  So 
our  people  made  good  hawsers  and  rigging  with  it,  and 
new  rigged  the  ships ;  and  as  our  people  had  brought 
with  them  all  the  tools  for  a  rope-yard,  they  went  to  do 
their  work  along  the  beach,  and  the  people  of  the  city 
came  out  to  see  them,  and  said  that  our  people  had  much 
skill  in  all  things,  and  the  King  also  came  out  to  see 
it.  IVhen  they  had  done  this  work  they  returned  on  board, 
for  no  one  entered  into  the  city,  and  the  sick  men  were  out- 
side of  it  in  the  gardens,  of  which  there  were  many,  and 
very  luxuriant,  with  very  good  water ;  only  the  ship-boy,  for 
the  purchases,  with  an  Arab  slave  who  interpreted,  went 
there  to  buy  things,  and  cruzados  and  testoons  were  worth 
more  than  in  Portugal.  In  order  that  our  people  should  not 
be  cheated  in  the  price  of  things,  the  King  ordered  it  to  be 
cried  all  over  the  city  that  nobody  was  to  sell  anything  to 
the  Portuguese  for  more  than  what  it  was  worth,  and  that 
if  anyone  did  so  he  would  send  and  burn  his  house,  so  that 
all  observed  this  order.  With  all  these  proofs  of  friendship 
which  the  King  showed  to  the  captains,  who  frequently 
went  on  shore  to  see  the  King,  sometimes  one  of  them, 
sometimes  the  other,  whom  the  King  used  to  take  to  see 
the  city,  or  for  recreation  in  a  large  garden,  there  was  now 
such  security  and  sincere  friendship,  that  the  King  desired 
to  go  and  see  the  ships,  and  mentioned  it  to  the  captain- 
major.  He  said  that  it  would  be  a  great  honour  which  he 
would  be  doing  him  and  his  men,  since  by  touching  the 
ships  they  would  become  highly  honoured  and  fortunate. 
The  day  having  been  fixed,  the  ships  were  cleaned  and  set 
in  order  with  perfumes  and  boughs  and  many  flags,  and  the 
quarter-decks  decked  out  with  figured  stuffs  of  Flanders 
and  carpets  and  rugs ;  and  the  lances  in  stands  with  the 
points  cleaned,  and  the  naked  swords  and  white  weapons 
hung  up,  with  splendid  breastplates,  and   the  arms  of  t\w 


VISITS    THE    SKll'S.  135 

captains  ;  and  a  buffet  was  set  out  with  its  plate,  and  attend- 
ants very  splendidly  dressed.  The  captains  went  ashore  in 
the  boats,  which  were  also  decked  out,  and  in  the  boat  of 
Paulo  da  Gama  they  took  only  one  chair  for  the  King :  it 
was  covered  with  crimson  velvet,  with  a  gold  fringe  and 
silver  bosses ;  a  carpet  covered  all  the  floor  of  the  boat,  in 
the  bows  there  was  a  standard,  forked,  of  white  and  red 
damask,  with  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  a  fringe  and  cords  of 
gold  and  crimson.  On  reaching  the  beach  the  King  entered 
the  boat  with  some  of  his  nobles ;  he  sat  down  on  the 
chair,  complaining  to  the  captains  of  their  not  having  chairs 
to  sit  upon ;  they  replied  that  it  was  not  the  custom  for  any 
one  to  sit  down  with  the  sovereign.  Many  boats  and  skiffs 
of  the  merchant  ships  accompanied  the  King,  with  their 
flags  and  rejoicing  of  musical  instruments  and  kettle-drums, 
which  were  not  heard  when  our  trumpets  sounded,  as  all 
kept  silence  to  hear  them.  When  they  arrived  at  the  ships, 
they  gave  a  great  salute  with  artillery  and  shouts.  The 
King  ordered  them  to  go  all  round  the  ships,  looking  at 
them  outside,  and  asking  of  many  things.  Wlien  the  King 
went  up  the  ladder  into  the  ship,  which  the  captains  had 
had  made  for  that  purpose,  they  supported  him  with  their 
arms  with  great  caurtesy  and  respect,  and  set  the  chair  on 
the  quarter-deck.^  \The  King  then  sat  down,  and  his  people 
on  benches  covered  with  woollen  rugs,  and  they  were  all 
much  surprised  at  what  they  saw.  The  King  asked  about 
everything,  and  went  to  see  the  captain^s  cabins,  which 
were  also  ornamented,  and  then  he  again  sat  down,  where 
now  a  handsome  table  had  been  set  out  with  dainty  napkins 
of  Flanders ;  and  they  spread  upon  it  many  conserves,  and 
confectionery,  preserved  almonds  which  they  had  brought 

'  Barros  says  nothing  of  the  King's  coming  on  board  the  ships,  but 
he  and  Camoens  both  say  that  he  went  round  the  ships.  Barros  saya 
after  this  Da  Gama  was  in  security  as  to  his  friendship.  Camoens  is 
more  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  Gaspar  Correa's  account. 


136  THK    KING    OF    MKLINDE 

in  glass  bottlesj  large  and  small  olives^  and  cases  of  marma- 
lade. The  King  was  much  surprised  at  what  he  saw,  and 
said  to  his  people  :  "  If  these  men  use  silver,  their  King  will 
not  use  anything  but  goldj"  and  he  made  the  captains  sit 
down,  and  ate,  and  gave  to  eat  to  his  people,  who  were  much 
pleased  with  the  olives  more  than  with  anything  else.  They 
gave  them  wine  in  gilt  vessels,  which  they  did  not  drink,  as 
it  was  not  their  custom ;  then  they  gave  them  water  in 
silver  cups,  and  gilt  glasses.  Having  finished  eating,  the 
captain-major  took  a  rich  hand-basin,  chased  and  gilt,  and  a 
ewer  to  match,  and  went  to  pour  water  on  the  King's  hands, 
but  he,  out  of  courtesy,  would  not  consent  to  receive  it. 
Then  one  of  his  own  people  poured  water,  and  the  King 
washed  his  hands  and  mouth,  and  dried  them  with  a  napkin 
embroidered  with  gold ;  and  on  taking  away  the  basin  the 
Moor  could  not  do  it  except  with  both  hands,  and  the  same 
with  the  ewer,  for  they  were  very  heavy.  The  captain-major 
immediately  ordered  them  to  be  emptied  of  the  water  and 
put  into  their  cases,  and  commanded  them  to  be  given  to 
the  pages,  to  take  them  away,  which  the  King  would  not 
admit  of.  The  captain-major  then  said  to  him:  "Sire,  order 
these  things  to  be  taken  for  your  service,  because  as  they 
have  been  in  your  service,  nobody  else  can  make  use  of 
them,  for  such  is  our  custom."  For  which  the  King  thanked 
him  very  much,  and  was  highly  pleased  with  the  ewer  and 
basin,  saying  that  no  King  in  India  had  got  such  things. 
He  was  much  amazed,  and  talked  with  his  own  people  of  the 
magnificence  which  our  men  displayed.  After  that  they  re- 
turned ashore  with  festivity.  The  King,  however,  went  on 
board  the  other  ship,  which  he  found  ornamented  and 
dressed  out  in  the  same  manner.  On  reaching  the  beach  he 
would  not  consent  to  the  captains  coming  out  of  their  boats, 
and  took  leave  of  them.  The  captain-major  sent  the  broker 
to  take  the  chair  to  the  King,  which  gave  him  great  plea- 
sure.    Thus  all  remained  so  certain  and  secure  in  peace  and 


VISITS    THE    SHIPS.  137 

friendship,  that  ever  afterwards  the  captains  went  ashore 
and  came  away,  and  so  also  the  ships'  crews,  as  if  they  were 
natives  of  the  place  ;  and  since  it  seemed  to  the  captains  that 
it  would  be  more  fitting  also  to  give  something  to  the 
King's  confidantes  and  to  his  magistrates,  of  whom  there 
were  three  principal  ones  :  a  minister  of  the  land  revenue, 
and  another  of  the  sea,  and  a  minister  of  justice,  they  agreed 
to  send  to  each  five  ells  of  yellow  satin  and  five  ells  of 
green  Eouen  cloth,  and  four  scarlet  cloth  caps,  and  begging 
pardon  for  the  little  they  sent ;  with  this  they  were  very  much 
pleased  and  satisfied,  and  went  to  tell  the  King  of  it,  who 
said  :  "Nothing  is  wanting  to  these  men  to  achieve  every- 
thing just  as  they  desire."^ 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Ilow  the  King  of  Melinde  bade  farewell  to  our  people,  and  of  the  equip- 
ment which  he  gave  them  ;  after  which  they  went  and  reached  the 
port  of  Calecut  on  the  coast  of  India. 

The  time  having  now  arrived  for  the  departure  of  the  ships, 
which  was  with  the  new  moon  of  July  of  1498  -^  the  King, 
who  took  great  care  of  all  that  was  requisite  for  our  men, 
had  got  ready  for  them  two  pilots,  the  best  that  could  be 
found :   and  be  sent  to  call  the  captains,  and  told  them  that 

'  Barros  says  that  some  gentiles  from  Cambay,  whom  they  call 
Banians,  came  to  see  the  ships,  and  that  seeing  a  picture  of  Our  Lady 
in  Da  Gama's  cabin,  and  that  the  Portuguese  reverenced  it,  they  made 
adorationtoit  with  much  more  ceremony ;  and  next  day  they  returned  to  it. 
The  Banians  and  Portuguese  were  mutually  pleased,  and  the  Portuguese 
imagined  that  these  people  were  samples  of  some  Christian  community 
in  India  from  the  times  of  St.  Thomas. 

2  About  the  loth  July.  Barros  says  that  among  the  people  who  came 
to  visit  the  ships  was  a  Moor  of  Guzarat,  named  Malemo  Cana,  who,  both 
from  the  satisfaction  which  he  felt  at  the  intercourse  with  the  Portuguese, 
and  to  please  the  King  of  Melinde  who  was  looking  for  a  pilot  for  them, 


138  SCIENCE    OF    ARAB    PILOTS. 

it  was  now  tlie  season  for  departure.  They  replied  that  they 
were  quite  ready,  and  had  got  their  water  on  board,  as  the 
Mozambique  pilot  had  told  them  to  do  so.  The  King  sent 
to  call  him  to  his  presence,  and  asked  him  if  he  wished  to 
go  with  our  people.  He  said  yes,  since  they  treated  him 
very  well.  At  which  the  King  was  pleased  and  said  that 
when  he  returned  he  would  show  him  great  favours,  and 
that  he  was  glad  of  his  going,, so  as  to  assist  in  case  of  any 
of  the  pilots  whom  he  sent  falling  ill  or  dying.  The  King 
also  recommended  the  captains  to  treat  him  well,  since  of 

accepted  to  go  with  them.  Vasco  da  Gama,  after  talking  to  him,  was  very- 
well  satisfied  with  his  knowledge,  especially  after  he  had  shown  him  a  map 
of  all  the  coast  of  India,  with  the  bearings  laid  down  after  the  manner 
of  the  Moors,  which  was  with  meridians  and  parallels  very  small  (or 
close  together),  without  other  bearings  of  the  compass ;  because,  as  the 
squares  of  those  meridians  and  parallels  were  very  small,  the  coast  was 
laid  down  by  those  two  bearings  of  north  and  south,  and  east  and  west, 
with  great  certainty,  without  that  multiplication  of  bearings  of  the 
points  of  the  compass  usual  in  our  maps,  which  serves  as  the  root  of  the 
others.  When  Vasco  da  Gama  showed  him  the  great  wooden  astrolabe 
which  he  had  brought  and  others  of  metal  with  which  he  took  the  sun's 
altitude,  the  Moor  was  not  surprised,  and  said  that  some  pilots  of  the 
lied  Sea  used  brass  instruments  of  a  triangular  shape,  and  quadrants 
with  which  they  took  the  sun's  altitude,  and  chiefly  that  of  a  star  which 
they  most  made  use  of  for  their  navigation.  But  that  he  and  the  Cam- 
bay  mariners  and  those  of  all  India  made  their  navigation  by  certain 
stars  both  in  the  north  and  in  the  south,  and  also  by  other  notable  stars 
which  traversed  the  middle  of  the  heavens  from  east  to  west,  and  they 
did  not  take  their  distance  with  instruments  like  those,  but  with  another 
which  he  used  ;  which  he  brought  at  once  to  show,  which  was  of  three 
tables  (or  plates).  Since  we  have  treated  of  its  shape  and  use  in  oiu- 
geography  in  the  chapter  of  instruments  of  navigation,  it  is  sufficient  to 
say  here  that  in  that  operation  they  use  an  instrument  which  we  now 
use,  and  which  mariners  call  halhestilla^  the  cross  staff  (or  Jacob's  staff), 
and  in  that  chapter  an  account  of  it  and  its  inventors  will  be  given. 

Osorio,  in  speaking  of  Gama's  arrival  at  Mozambique,  describes  the 
compasses  used  by  the  Arab  mariners  at  great  length  ;  he  also  says  they 
used  quadrants  for  observing  the  sun's  distance  from  the  equinoctial 
line;  and  says:  "Finally,  they  were  instructed  in  so  many  of  the  arts  of 
navigation,  that  they  did  not  yield  much  to  the  Portuguese  mariners  in 
the  science  and  practice  of  maritime  matters." 


rUEPARATIONS  FOR  UEPAUTUUK  FROM  MELINDE.  139 

Ills  owu  will  he  wished  to  sei-ve  them  ;  which  they  promised 
him  they  would  do.  They  continued  conversing  with  the 
King,  who  gave  them  much  information  as  to  what  they 
ought  to  do  in  the  matter  of  buying  and  selling  ;  and  he 
recommended  them^  above  all,  to  speak  with  great  gentle- 
ness, and  to  dissemble  as  much  as  they  could  whenever  they 
fell  in  with  bad  and  arrogant  men ;  and  to  do  no  harm,  ex- 
cept when  they  had  received  so  much  themselves  that  all 
people  should  rejoice  at  their  revenging  themselves ;  and, 
whilst  trading  to  take  care  not  to  spoil  the  wares,  which  was 
a  most  important  matter,  and  would  cause  them  much  harm, 
which  the  foreign  merchants  would  seek  to  do  them ;  and 
since  the  people  of  Calecut  did  not  observe  much  good  faith, 
they  should  not  trust  themselves  without  safe  hostages. 
There  were  many  other  things  as  to  which  the  King  advised 
them  like  a  true  friend,  also  that  the  Moorish  broker  knew 
the  weights  and  measures,  and  he  had  full  confidence  that 
he  would  act  with  all  sincerity,  and  since  he  now  understood 
a  good  deal  of  our  language,  he  was  the  greatest  benefit  they 
could  possess.  As  it  was  now  the  hour,  they  went  to  dine 
with  the  King,  who  gave  them  a  great  banquet,  and  sent 
boats  laden  with  food  to  the  ships,  enough  for  all  the  crews. 
Having  ended  dining,  they  rested  a  little,  and  as  the  pilots 
said  they  must  sail  in  three  days'  time,  the  captains  ordered 
water  to  be  taken  in,  and  to  fill  large  tanks,^  which  they  had 
already  placed  in  the  ships,  for  as  they  had  few  staves  for  casks, 
the  King  had  ordered  them  to  be  made  by  the  carpenters  of 
the  country.  They  had  made  the  tanks  with  planks  joined  and 
sewn  together  strongly  with  coir  thread,  and  caulked  with 
pitch ;  they  were  pitched  in  such  a  way  that  they  were  more 
watertight  than  casks,  and  they  were  made  to  measure  to  fit 
the  ships  below  deck,  and  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  main 
mast.  Each  one  contained  thirty  pipes  of  water,  and  each 
ship  made  four  tanks,  which  was  a  very  useful  equipment, 

'  Tanques. 


1-iO  GAMA    SETS    UP   A    LANDMARK 

for  tlie  ships  were  made  freer  so  as  to  be  able  to  take  in 
more  cargo.  The  captains  remained  with  the  King  till 
night,  when  they  went  to  the  ships,  and  told  the  masters  to 
dispose  matters  as  the  pilots  wished  to  sail  in  three  days, 
and  they  rejoiced  very  much  since  it  was  the  day  of  the 
Transfiguration  of  our  Lord.^  Next  day  they  went  on  shore 
to  stay  with  the  King,  who  begged  them  very  much  always 
to  be  with  him  until  their  departure.  Whilst  they  were 
with  the  King,  he  entreated  them  very  earnestly  to  promise 
him  to  return  thither,  and  not  to  go  to  Portugal  without  his 
message,  which  he  wished  to  send  to  the  King,  his  brother, 
with  his  letters  of  sincere  friendship ;  which  friendship  he 
should  always  maintain  with  him,  so  that  he  should  be  a 
greater  King  than  any  of  those  of  India.  The  captains  re- 
plied that  they  would  be  very  well  pleased  to  do  so,  and  so 
they  promised  to  do,  and  swore  by  the  head  of  the  King 
their  Sovereign,  even  though  they  should  find  their  fleet  at 
Calecut,  because  that  was  the  most  certain  and  direct  way 
to  return  to  Portugal ;  and  this  they  assured  so  much  that 
the  King  trusted  to  it.  They  then  said  that : — "  Since  the 
sea  and  land  had  their  perils,  according  as  the  Lord  pleased, 
here  we  will  leave  you  a  mark  which  shall  always  remain  in 
this  city  of  yours  for  your  remembrance,  and  that  of  all  as 
many  as  shall  descend  from  you,  which  will  be  the  name  of 
our  king  written  on  a  stone,  as  his  sign  which  is  placed  in 
all  the  countries  of  his  friends,  and  it  is  placed  in  commemo- 
ration of  his  sincerity."  At  this  the  King  was  much  pleased, 
and  said  that  they  should  bring  the  stone  at  once,  and  that 
he  wished  it  to  stand  at  the  gate  of  his  palace.^  They  said, 
that  standing  inside  the  city  it  would  not  be  seen  by  the 

'  August  6. 

^  Barros  says  that  before  sailing  they  placed,  with  the  King's  consent, 
a  landmark  in  the  town,  with  the  name  of  Sancto  Espirito,  saying  that 
it  was  in  testimony  of  the  peace  and  friendship  which  they  had  esta- 
blished with  him. 


AT    ifKl-lNDE.  141 

people  who  arrived  at  tliis  port,  and  for  that  reason  it  ought 
to  be  where  it  could  be  seen  by  all.  To  which  the  King 
replied,  that  ho  much  wished  to  see  it,  and  that  they  might 
set  it  up  where  they  liked.  Then  they  gave  orders  to  bring 
from  the  ship  a  column  of  white  marble,  with  its  pedestal 
and  capital,  which  bore  upon  it  the  escutcheon  of  the  Quinas 
with  the  crown ;  and  on  the  other  side  another  escutcheon 
with  a  sphere ;  and  at  the  foot  letters  engraved  in  the  stone 
and  gilt  within,  which  said,  "King  Manoel."  Of  these 
columns  they  had  brought  six,  which  the  King  had  ordered 
to  be  made,  and  had  commanded  the  captains  to  set  them 
up  in  the  countries  where  they  established  friendship,  that 
the  remembrance  of  it  might  last  fc5r  ever,  and  that  they 
might  be  seen  by  all  nations  that  might  come  later.  When 
the  column  had  been  brought  and  the  King  had  seen  it,  he 
complained  to  the  captains  of  their  not  having  set  it  up  as 
soon  as  they  had  arrived  ;  they  answered,  that  they  had  not 
done  so  because  their  King  had  commanded  them  not  to  set 
up  that  stone  except  in  a  country  in  which  they  knew  true 
friendship  and  sincere  love,  such  as  you.  Sire,  have  shewn 
us  out  of  the  greatness  of  your  goodness."^  The  King  ex- 
perienced much  satisfaction  at  these  words  of  the  captain- 
major,  and  told  him  at  once  to  set  up  the  stone  wherever 
they  liked ;  so  they  went  and  placed  it  on  a  hill  which  there 
was  above  the  port  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  city,  a  place 
that  was  very  conspicuous,  so  that  the  column  could  be  seen 
from  all  the  sea.~     The  King  sent  stonemasons  to  assist  in 

'  This  change  of  persons  is  thus  in  the  original. 

-  When  Pedralvares  Cabral,  who  sailed  from  Lisbon  on  the  9th 
March,  1500,  reached  Melinde,  the  King  of  Melinde  had  been  obliged  to 
remove  the  column  on  account  of  the  hostility  it  excited  amongst  his 
neighbours  ;  he  conducted  Joan  de  Sa  by  the  hand,  and  showed  him  the 
column  put  by  safely  in  a  room,  and  the  arms  had  been  freshly  coloured 
so  that  it  looked  like  new. 

Horsburgh's  Lidia  Directory  says,  vol.  i,  p.  281: — "The  Pagoda  [or 
sea-mark  on  an  island  five  miles  NW  by  N  of  Melinde]  is  called  by  the 


142  PREPARATIONS    FOR 

setting  it  up ;  and  when  it  was  placed  it  was  solemnised  by 
the  prayers  of  three  priests  who  were  in  the  ships,  and  with 
the  trumpets  and  a  salute  of  artillery  from  the  ships,  at  which 
the  King  felt  much  pleasure.  Then  the  captains  asked  leave 
of  the  King  to  say  their  prayers  there  to  God  before  their 
departure,  as  they  always  did  thus,  and  as  it  was  outside  of 
the  city.  To  this  the  King  answered  that,  "  outside  or 
within  the  city,  wherever  they  pleased  they  should  do  it  as 
if  they  were  in  their  own  country  of  Portugal.-"  Therefore 
they  at  once  set  up  a  tent  with  a  sail  at  the  foot  of  the 
column,  and  within  they  disposed  an  altar  with  a  rich  altar- 
cloth,  and  placed  an  eiBgy  of  our  Lady  of  Mercy  before  which 
mass  was  said,  and  they  all  communicated,  for  they  had 
already  confessed  on  board  the  ships.  This  having  been 
ended  in  a  short  space  of  time,  they  got  back  to  the  boats ; 
and  the  people  of  the  city  had  been  looking  on  much  amazed, 
and  our  adoration  seemed  to  them  very  good.  Then  all  went 
to  the  King,  where  the  captains  also  went  as  they  were  to 
I  dine  soon.  Then  the  King  ordered  the  pilots  to  come,  and 
'  delivered  them  over  to  the  captain- major,  telling  him  to 
I  treat  them  well  because  their  wives  and  children  remained 
lat  Melinde  until  they  returned.  Upon  this  the  captain- 
major  sent  to  tjie  ships,  and  they  brought  him  a  hundred 
gold  cruzados,  and  he,  in  the  presence  of  the  King,  gave  to 
each  of  the  pilots  fifty  cruzados  to  leave  for  their  wives, 
because  when  they  returned  thither  they  would  pay  them 
for  the  service  they  had  rendered.  This  was  looked  upon 
by  all  as  much  liberality.  The  king  was  pleased  at  seeing 
the  cruzados,  and  took  them  and  gave  their  value  to  the 

late  Admiral  Owen,  Vasco  da  Gama's  Pillar,  and  according  to  him  is 
built  on  the  north  end  of  a  flat  peninsular  rock,  which  is  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  long  from  NNE  to  SSW,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
wide.  The  Pillar  is  in  lat.  3°  13'  S,  Ion.  40°  11'  E."  This  is  probably 
another  landmark  erected  since  Gama's  time ;  it  certainly  occupies  a  dif- 
ferent site  from  the  one  erected  by  Gama. 


DKPARTURE    FROM    MKLINDK.  1  I') 

pilots  in  money  of  the  country;  and  Vasco  da  Gama,  noticing 
it,  immediately  sent  to  the  ship  for  ten  Portugueses  of  gold, 
which  he  presented  to  the  King  in  a  handkerchief,  saying, 
that  that  money  was  called  Portuguese,  and  that  each  one 
was  worth  ten  of  the  smaller  coins,  and  that  he  should  keep 
them,  and  with  them  always  remember  the  name  of  Portu- 
guese. The  King  was  much  gratified,  and  said,  that  the 
name  of  the  Portuguese  would  never  leave  his  heart  where 
he  preserved  it,  except  when  he  died.  The  captain-major  then 
presented  to  the  king  the  ship-boy  of  the  purchases,  who 
was  one  of  the  banished,  and  said  that  he  left  that  man  with 
him,  because  if  any  ship  came  from  Portugal,  for  it  might 
be  that  some  one  of  his  fleet  might  come,  this  man  would 
relate  to  them  all  the  benefits  and  favours  which  the  King: 
had  bestowed  upon  them,  and  also  they  would  leave  it  all 
written  down  with  their  signatures,  and  if  the  ship-boy 
wished  to  go  to  any  other  place,  to  let  him  go  wherever  he 
wished,  because  no  one  could  serve  well  without  willingness. 
The  King  granted  this  and  was  pleased ;  then  the  captain- 
major  spoke  to  the  ship-boy,  and  told  him  that  he  left  him 
there  as  the  King  was  so  great  a  friend  of  the  Portuguese,  and 
that  his  life  was  quite  safe,  and  that  he  was  to  do  his  best  to 
see  and  learn  about  every  thing,  and  if  he  wished  it  he  might 
go  to  other  countries  to  see  and  learn  all  things ;  because,  if 
he  lived  and  returned  to  Portugal,  for  this  service  he  would 
make  him  a  gentleman  of  the  king's  household,  both  him 
and  any  other  that  so  remained  behind  doing  such  service  to 
the  King;  and  of  this  he  gave  him  his  warrant  signed ;  and 
he  also  gave  him  fifty  testoons.  This  same  day,  in  the 
evening,  the  pilots  went  on  board  the  ships,  one  with  Paulo 
da  Gama,  and  the  other  with  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  with  him 
the  Mozambique  pilot,  and  they  gave  them  cabins  in  which 
to  stow  their  property.  Then  the  King  sent  boats  to  the 
ships  laden  with  biscuit,  which  he  had  ordered  to  be  made 
in  the  Moorish  fashion,  which  is  like  mouthfuls  of  bread,  and 


114  GAMA    SrCrHTS    THE    COAST    OF    INDIA. 

much  rice,  and  butter,  cocoa-nuts,  sheep  salted  whole  like 
salt  meat,  and  others  alive,  many  fowls  and  vegetables, 
separately  for  each  ship,  and  in  great  abundance,  and  much 
sugar  in  powder  in  sacks.  And  as  they  were  equipped  with 
everything  and  ready  to  set  sail  next  day,  which  was  the 
day  of  the  Transfiguration  of  our  Lord  (August  6th)  ,^  they 
took  leave  of  the  King,  who  could  not  endure  it,  and  em- 
barked in  his  boat  and  went  with  them,  saying  very  afiec- 
tionate  things,  with  which  he  bade  farewell  to  each  of  them 
at  the  side  of  the  ships ;  and  he  remained  looking  at  them 
for  a  space  as  they  hoisted  in  the  boats ;  and  bidding  each 
other  farewell  the  trumpets  sounded,  and  all  the  crews  gave 
a  shout  of  ''  Lord  God  have  mercy,  farewell ! "  after  which 
night  fell.  The  next  day  they  arose  with  the  ships  dressed 
out  with  flags,  and  as  it  was  a  fine  day  they  loosed  the  sails, 
sounding  the  trumpets  with  much  joy,  all  upon  their  knees, 
giving  great  praise  to  the  Lord  for  so  much  favour  as  He 
had  shewn  to  them  in  their  affairs.  Sailing  with  a  fair  wind 
in   twenty   days   they  got  sight  of  land,-  which  the  pilots 

»  Barros  says  they  sailed  from  Melinde  on  the  24th  of  April. 
^  Barros  says,  "  Crossing  that  great  gulf  of  seven  hundred  leagues, 
which  there  are  from  one  coast  to  the  other,  in  the  space  of  twenty-two 
days,  the  first  land  which  they  touched  was  below  the  city  of  Calecut,  a 
matter  of  two  leagues."  This  does  not  disagree  with  Correa's  statement, 
which  would  make  about  twenty-two  days  to  Calecut. 

Camoens,  Canto  vi,  92. 

Jd  a  manhaa  clara  dava  nos  outeiros, 

For  onde  o  Ganges  murmurando  soa, 

Quando  da  excelsa  gavea  os  marinheiros 

Enxergarao  terra  alta  pella  proa. 

Ja  fora  de  tormenla,  e  dos  primeiros 

Mares,  o  temor  vao  do  peito  voa, 

Disse  alegre  o  Piloto  Melindano, 

"Terra  he  de  Calecut,"  se  nao  me  engano. 

93. 

Esta  he  por  certo  a  terra  que  buscais 

Da  verdadeira  India,  que  apparecc, 

E  se  do  mundo  mais  nao  desejais, 

Vosso  trabalho  longo  aqui  fenece. 


ARRIVAL    OFF    CANANOR.  145 

foretold  before  that  they  saw  it,  this  was  a  great  mountain 
which  is  on  the  coast  of  India,  in  the  kingdom  of  Cananor, 
which  the  people  of  the  country  in  their  language  call  the 
mountain  Delielly,  and  they  call  it  of  the  rat,  and  they  call 
it  Mount  Dely,  because  in  this  mountain  there  were  so  many 
rats  that  they  never  could  make  a  village  there.  As  it  was 
the  custom  to  give  the  fees  of  good  news  to  the  pilots  when 
they  see  the  land,  they  gave  to  each  of  the  pilots  a  robe  of 
red  cloth,  and  ten  testoons  ;  and  they  went  on  approaching 
the  land  until  they  saw  the  beach,  and  they  ran  along  it  and 
passed  within  sight  of  a  large  town  of  thatched  houses  inside 
a  bay,  which  the  pilots  said  was  named  Cananor,  where 
many  skiffs  were  going  about  fishing  ;  and  several  came 
near  to  see  the  ships  and  were  much  surprised,  and  went 
ashore  to  relate  that  these  ships  had  so  much  rigging  and  so 
many  sails  and  white  men ;  which  having  been  told  to  the 
King  he  sent  some  men  of  his  own  to  see,  but  the  ships  had 
already  gone  far,  and  they  did  not  go. 

Sofrer  aqui  nao  pode  o  Gama  mais, 
De  ledo  em  ver  que  a  terra  se  conhece, 
Os  giolhos  no  chao,  as  maos  ao  ceo, 
A  merce  grande  a  Deos  agradeceo. 

92  and  93. 
Now  morn,  serene  in  dappled  grey,  arose 
O'er  the  fair  lawns  where  murmuring  Ganges  flows  ; 
Pale  shone  the  wave  beneath  the  golden  beam  ; 
Blue  o'er  the  silver  flood  Malabria's  mountains  gleam  : 
The  sailors  on  the  maintop's  airy  round, 
Land,  land,  aloud  witli  waving  hands  resound  ; 
Aloud  the  pilot  of  Melinda  cries. 
Behold,  O  chief,  the  shores  of  India  rise  ! 
Elate  the  joyful  crew  on  tip-toe  trod. 
And  every  breast  with  swelling  raptures  glow'd ; 
Gama's  great  soul  confest  the  rushing  swell, 
Prone  on  his  manly  knees  the  hero  fell. 
Oh  bounteous  heaven,  he  cries,  and  spreads  his  hands 
To  bounteous  heaven,  while  boundless  joy  commands 
No  farther  word  to  flow.  Mickle. 


1  iG  PREDICTIONS  MADE  AT  CANANOR 

In  this  country  of  India  they  are  much  addicted  to  sooth- 
sayers and  divinerSj  especially  on  this  coast  of  India,  which 
is  named  country  of  Malabar,  and  they  call  these  diviners 
Canayates.  According  to  what  was  known  later,  there  had 
been  in  this  country  of  Cananor  a  diviner  so  diabolical  in 
whom  they  believed  so  much,  that  they  wrote  down  all  that 
he  said,  and  pi-eserved  it  like  prophecies  which  would  come 
to  pass.  They  held  a  legend  from  him  in  which  it  was  said 
that  the  whole  of  India  would  be  taken  and  ruled  over  by  a 
'>"  very  distant  king,  who  had  white  people,  who  would  do  great 
harm  to  those  who  were  not  their  friends ;  and  this  was  to 
happen  a  long  time  later,  and  he  left  signs  of  when  it  would 
be.  In  consequence  of  the  great  disturbance  caused  by  the 
sight  of  these  ships,  the  King  was  very  desirous  of  knowing 
what  they  were ;  and  he  spoke  to  his  diviners,  asking  them 
to  tell  him  what  ships  were  those  and  whence  they  came. 
The  diviners  conversed  with  their  devils,  and  told  him  that 
the  ships  belonged  to  a  great  king  and  came  from  very  far, 
and  according  to  what  they  found  written,  these  were  the 
people  who  were  to  seize  India  by  war  and  peace,  as  they 
had  already  told  him  many  times,  because  the  period  which 
had  been  written  down  was  concluded.  The  King,  much 
moved,  asked  them  whether  his  kingdom  would  receive  any 
injury.  They  replied  that  our  people  would  do  no  harm 
except  to  those  who  did  it  to  them.  Upon  this  the  King 
became  very  thoughtful,  and  talked  of  this  frequently  with 
his  people,  who  very  much  contradicted  what  the  diviners 
said,  and  they  told  him  not  to  believe  them,  for  in  this  they 
never  hit  upon  the  truth,  because  at  the  time  that  our  ships 
arrived  more  than  four  hundred  years  had  elapsed  since  in 
one  year  more  than  eight  hundred  sail  of  large  and  small 
ships  had  come  to  India  from  the  parts  of  Malacca  and 
China  and  the  Lequeos,  with  people  of  many  nations,  and 
all  laden  with  merchandise  of  great  value  which  they  brought 
for  sale  :  and  they  had  come  to  Calecut,  and  had  run  along 


i 


V 


WITH    RESPECT    TO    THE    I'OliTUGUESE.  147 

the  coast  and  had  gone  to  Cambay;  and  they  were  so  numer- 
ous that  they  had  filled  the  country  and  had  settled  as  dwellers 
in  all  the  towns  of  the  sea-coast,  where  they  were  received 
and  welcomed  like  merchants,  which  they  were.  When 
those  people  arrived  thus  on  the  coast  of  Malabar  everybody 
considered  that  they  were  the  people  whom  their  prophecies 
mentioned  as  those  who  would  take  India,  and  they  had 
inquired  of  the  diviners,  who,  looking  at  their  records,  told 
them  not  to  be  afraid,  since  the  time  when  India  was  to  be 
taken  had  not  yet  arrived.  Thus  it  was ;  for  those  people 
had  gone  all  over  India,  trading  and  selling  their  mefrchandise 
during  many  years,  in  which  many  of  them  married  and  es- 
tablished their  abodes  and  became  naturalised  in  the  country, 
and  mixed  up  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  country.  Many  J 
others  returned  to  their  own  country,  and  as  no  more  ever 
arrived,  they  went  on  diminishing  in  number  until  they  came 
to  an  end ;  but  a  numerous  progeny  remained  from  them ; 
and  because  they  were  people  of  large  property,  and  numer- 
ous in  the  towns  where  they  resided,  they  had  a  quarter  set 
apart,  like  as  in  Portugal  and  Castile  in  other  times  there 
used  to  be  Jewries  and  Moorish  quarters  set  apart;  and  '" 
they  built  bouses  for  their  idols,  sumptuous  edifices,  which 
are  to  be  seen  at  this  day ;  and  in  the  space  of  a  hundred 
years  there  did  not  remain  one.  All  this  they  had  got  thus 
recorded  in  their  legends ;  and  since  at  that  time  so  many 
people  did  not  take  India,  how  was  it  to  be  taken  now  by 
people  who  came  from  such  a  distance,  and  who  would  not 
come  in  sufficient  numbers  to  be  able  to  conquer  it  ? 
and  they  mocked  at  what  the  soothsayers  said.  But  the 
King,  who  put  great  trust  in  them,  and  whose  heart  divined 
what  was  going  to  come  to  pass,  spoke  to  a  soothsayer  in 
whom  he  placed  great  belief,  and  told  him  to  look  and  see 
upon  what  grounds  he  made  his  assertions;  because  if  it  was 
as  he  had  been  saying,  he  would  labour  to  establish  peace 
with  the  Portuguese  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  his  king- 


148  DECISION    OF    THE    KING    OF    CANANOR. 

dom  secure  for  ever,  and  in  this  lie  would  spend  part  of  his 
treasure.  The  soothsayer  answered,  "  Sire,  I  am  telling 
you  the  truth,  that  these  men  will  not  bring  so  many  people 
with  them  to  seize  upon  countries  and  realms,  but  those  who 
come,  in  whatever  number  they  may  be,  will  be  able  to  pre- 
vail more  with  their  ships  than  all  as  many  as  go  upon  the 
sea,  on  which  account  they  must  be  masters  of  the  sea,  in 
which  case,  of  necessity  the  people  of  the  land  must  obey 
them  j  and  when  they  shall  have  become  powerful  at  sea, 
what  will  happen  to  your  kingdom  if  you  have  not  secured 
peace  with  them  ?  I  tell  you  the  truth,  and  you  will  see  it 
with  your  eyes  ;  and  now  follow  what  counsel  you  please/' 
The  King  answered:  ''My  heart  tells  me  that  you  are 
speaking  the  truth,  and  I  will  do  that  which  is  incumbent 
upon  me."  The  diviner  said  to  him  :  "  If  before  five  years 
you  do  not  see  that  I  have  told  you  the  truth,  order  my  head 
to  be  cut  ofiF."  Upon  which  the  King  remained  quite  con- 
vinced, and  determined  in  his  heart  to  establish  with  the 
Portuguese  all  the  peace  and  friendship  that  was  possible. 
And  because  soon  after  news  arrived  that  our  people  were  at 
the  city  of  Calecut,  which  is  twelve  leagues  from  Cananor, 
the  King  sent  men  to  Calecut  who  always  came  to  tell  him 
of  what  happened  there  to  our  men. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

How  the  ships  arrived  at  the  city  of  Calecut,  and  in  which  is  related  all 
that  happened  to  them  there  until  they  again  departed. 

The  ships  continued  running  along  the  coast  close  to  land, 
for  the  coast  was  clear,  without  banks  against  which  to  take 
precautions ;  and  the  pilots  gave  orders  to  cast  anchor  in  a 
place  which  made  a  sort  of  bay,  because  there  commenced 
the  city  of  Calecut.     This  town  is  named  Capocate,^  and  on 

'  Capucad  is  two  leagues  from  Calicut.     Barros  says  the  first  land 


GAMA    AKIMVES    OFF    CALECUT.  110 

anclioring  there  a  multitude  of  people  flocked  to  the  beacli, 
all  dark  and  naked,  only  ccjvered  with  cloths  half  way  down 
the  thigh,  with  which  they  concealed  their  nakedness.  All 
were  rauch  amazed  at  seeing  what  they  had  never  before 
seen.  When  news  was  taken  to  the  King  he  also  came  to 
look  at  the  ships,  for  all  the  wonder  was  at  seeing  so  many 
ropes  and  so  many  sails,  and  because  the  ships  arrived  when 
the  sunjwas  almost  set ;  and  at  night  they  lowered  out  the 
boats,  and  Vasco  da  Gama  went  at  once  for  his  brother  and 
Nicolas  Coelho,  and  they  remained  together  conversing 
upon  the  method  of  dealing  with  this  King,  since  here  was 
the  principal  end  which  they  had  come  to  seek  ;  it  seemed 
to  him  that  it  would  be  best  to  comport  himself  as  an  am- 
bassador, and  to  make  him  his  present,  always  saying  that 
they  had  been  separated  from  another  fleet  which  they  came 
to  seek  for  there,  and  that  the  captain-major  had  come  and 
brought  him  letters  from  the  King.  This  they  agreed  upon 
together,  and  that  Vasco  da  Gama  should  go  on  shore  with, 
that  message  sent  by  the  captain-major,  who  cai'ried.  the 
standard  at  the  peak ;  they  also  talked  of  the  manner  in 
which  these  things  were  to  be  spoken  of.  When  all  was 
well  decided  upon,  Nicolas  Coelho  returned  to  the  ship,  and 
Vasco  da  Gama  remained  with  his  brother,  talking  with  the 
Moor  Taibo  (the  broker),  who  told  him  not  to  go  on  shore 
without  hostages ;  that  such  was  the  custom  of  men  who 
newly  arrived  at  the  country  :  and  the  Moor  said  that  this 
King  of  Calecut  was  the  greatest  king  of  all  the  coast  of 
India,  and  on  that  account  was  very  vain,  and  he  was  very 
rich  from  the  great  trade  he  had  in  this  city.     The  next  day 

they  touched  was  two  leagues  below  Calicut ;  and  that  they  arrived 
there  on  the  20th  of  jNIay,  in  the  beginning  of  winter  on  that  coast,  so 
that  there  was  not  much  traffic  in  the  port,  and  the  foreigners  had  gone 
away,  and  the  inhabitants  were  surprised  at  the  ships  coming  in  that 
season.  He  also  says  that  after  two  days  the  ships  went  to  Capocate, 
a  port  near  there,  where  Gama  waited  two  days  for  the  King's  message. 


150  PROCEEDINGS  AT  CALECUT. 

at  dawn  a  great  many  skiffs  came  out  with  fishing  nets, 
passing  near  the  ships,  and  Vasco  da  Gama  told  the  Moorish 
pilots  to  call  the  fishermen  to  sell  some  fish,  since  they 
knew  the  language  of  the  country.  When  they  heard  them- 
selves called  by  the  pilots  they  came  at  once  and  entered  the 
ship,  and  gave  a  quantity  of  fish  like  sardines,  which  they 
called  canalinhas,  and  they  gave  a  great  many  for  a  vintin, 
which  they  bit  with  their  teeth  to  see  if  it  was  silver.  Vasco 
da  Gama  told  the  pilots  to  say,  if  the  fishermen  asked,  that 
they  came  from  Melinde,  and  had  arrived  there  parted  com- 
pany, and  were  going  in  search  of  other  ships  of  their  com- 
pany which  they  thought  they  might  find  there.  When  the 
fishermen  returned  on  shore  many  people  asked  questions  of 
them,  as  they  had  seen  them  go  on  board  the  ship.  They 
related  what  had  been  said  to  them,  and  shewed  the  coin 
which  had  been  given  them  for  the  fish.  All  this  was  re- 
lated to  the  King,  who  waited  for  our  people  to  send  to  him. 
The  King  was  very  desirous  that  the  Portuguese  should  send 
on  shore,  and  he  ordered  the  fishermen  to  go  to  the  ships 
to  sell  their  fish,  or  anything  they  liked,  and  to  inquire 
about  everything.  This  they  did,  and  brought  many  fowls, 
figs,  and  cocoa-nuts,  and  there  came  many  of  them.  Vasco 
da  Gama  ordered  that  no  one  should  buy  except  the  pilots 

tnd  Moors,  whom  he  ordered  to  pay  according  to  the  will 
f  the  owners,  and  to  offend  them  in  nothing.  Many  skiffs 
went  to  the  other  ship,  and  there  also  no  one  bought  except 
the  pilot,  with  vintins,  with  which  the  captains  here  paid 
the  crew,  each  man  twenty  cruzados.  The  Moor  and  the 
pilots  said  to  the  captain-major,  that  he  should  send  on  shore; 
he  replied,  that  he  should  not  land  in  a  foreign  country  with- 
out leave  from  its  owner,  as  he  had  acted  in  Melinde.  At  this 
conjuncture  there  came  a  boat  full  of  wood  to  sell ;  and  as 
there  was  much  wood  in  the  ship  they  did  not  take  it,  and 
as  they  were  going  away  the  captain-major  ordered  them  to 
be  called,  and  there  were  six  men  came  in  the  boat,  and  he 


PROCEEDINGS  AT  CALECUT.  151 

ordered  a  vintin  to  be  given  to  each  man^  and  that  they 
mio-ht  go  their  way,  as  there  was  no  need  of  the  wood.    The 
Moor  asked  why  he  gave  them  money,  since  they  did  not 
take  the  wood.     And  the  captain-major  repHed,  '''  They  are 
poor  men  and  come  to  sell  their  wood,  and  as  it  was  not 
bought  they  were  going  away  discontented,  and   on   that 
account  he  had  ordered  money  to  be  given  them,  that  their 
labour  might  not  have  been  in  vain ;  for  he  was  thus  accus- 
tomed to  pay  well  all  those  who  did  good  to  him.^'     At  this 
the  Moor  and  the  pilots  were  surprised ;  and  so  they  repeated 
it  to  the  black  people  who  had  brought  the  wood,  so  that 
they  went  ashore  very  much  pleased,  and  related  this  as  a 
great  wonder.     It  was  at  once  told  to  the  King,  who,  in 
in  talking  with  his  own  people,  \:^uuted  much  the  liberality 
an,d  goodness  of  the  Portuguese  ;  on  the  King's  questioning 
the  fishermen  about  everything,  they  told  him  all  that  they 
had  heard  from  the  pilots,  and  that  they  did  not  venture  to 
come   out  on  shore  because  they  had  not  got  the  King's 
leave  to  do  so,  and  that  they  came  from  Melinde,  and  were 
going  about  lost  in  search  of  their  company,  which  they  had 
expected  to  find  here ;  and  as  they  had  not  found  them  they 
were  intending  to  go  away.    Thus  things  remained  for  three 
days ;  and  as  the  fishermen,  who  came  back  again,  said  that 
they  had  related  everything  to  the  King;  and  as  the  captain- 
major  saw  that  the  King   sent  no  message,  he  asked  the 
Moor  his  opinion  of  what  they  ought  to  do,  because  they  did 
not  know  the  customs  of  these  people.     The  Moor  told  him 
that  he  ought  to  send  a  message  to  the  King  and  say  what 
he  wanted.     This  seemed  good,  and  the  Moor  was  ordered 
to  get  ready  to  go  on  shore ;  and  at  this  time  there  came 
from  the  shore  a  large  boat  in  which  there  was  a  servant  of 
the  King,  a  gentleman  of  birth,  whom  they  call  Nairj  he 
came  without  clothes,  except  a  white  cloth  which  covered 
him  from  the  middle  to  half  the  thighs ;  he  had  a  very  thin 
round    shield,   with   slings   of  wood  and   vermilion,   which 


152  MESSAGE    FROM    THE    KING    OF    CALECUT. 

glittered  very  muclij  and  a  naked  sword  with  an  iron  liilt : 
the  sword  was  short,  of  an  elFs  length/  and  broad  at  the 
point ;  his  hair  was  pressed  down  upon  his  head ;  he  was  a 
very  dark  man,  and  very  well  made.  On  reaching  the  side 
of  the  ship,  without  coming  on  board,  he  asked  for  the 
captain ;  and  the  captain-major  answei'ed  him  that  he  was 
the  person  he  wanted  ;  that  he  was  the  captain.  The  Nair 
then  said  that  the  King  had  sent  him  to  say  that  they  should 
send  word  who  they  were,  and  what  they  wanted  in  his 
port.  The  captain-major  answered  that  he  had  not  sent  his 
message  because  he  had  not  yet  had  the  King's  leave  to  do 
so,  but  now  that  he  had  ordered  it  he  would  do  so.  Then 
the  Moor  went  with  the  Nair^  with  full  instructions  as  to 
what  he  was  to  say.  The  King,  on  seeing  the  messenger, 
and  that  he  was  a  Moor,  imagined  that  our  men  were  so 
also.  The  Moor  said  to  the  King,  "  Sire,  the  captain-major 
of  those  ships  says  :  '  I  did  not  send  you  a  message  during 
these  days  because  I  had  not  got  your  leave  to  do  so ; '  but 
now  that  you  have  sent  it  by  your  servant,  he  has  sent  me, 
and  he  says  that  he  is  the  .slave  of  the  greatest  Christian 
King  in  the  world ;  who  had  sent  a  fleet  of  fifty  ships  which 
{ he  had  ordered  to  go  to  a  country  to  take  cargo  of  pepper 
and  drugs,  in  exchange  for  rich  merchandise  and  gold  and 
silver  which  he  sent ;  and  that  when  they  found  the  country 
where  they  could  take  in  the  cargo  which  they  were  seeking 
for,  they  should  establish  a  firm  peace  and  good  relations 
with  the  king  of  it,  which  should  last  for  ever ;  and  he  was 
the  ambassador  who  was  to  go  on  shore,  because  the  captain- 
major  would  not  leave  the  ship  to  go  ashore.  And  after 
their  setting  out  on  their  voyage  a  storm  at  sea  had  separated 
them  from  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  and  they  knew  nothing  of  it 
and  had  been  going  about  to  many  places  for  t-\vo  yeai'S  like 

^  Covado,  three  quarters  of  a  yard,  a  Flemish  ell. 
'  Barros  says  Gama  seut  one  of  the  convicts  with  the  Moorish  pilot 
to  take  the  first  message. 


MESSAGE    TO    THE    KING    OF    CALECUT.  153 

lost  people  ;  and  they  had  been  to  Melinde,  where  there  is  a 
very  noble  king  to  whom  they  had  related  this  fortune  of 
theirs.      As  he  had  taken  compassion  upon  them,  he  had 
said  that  he  would  give  them  pilots  who  would  bring  them 
to  the  country  where  the  pepper  grew,  and  there  were  many 
drugs,  for  which  we  thanked  him  very  much ;  and  the  pilots 
brought  us  here  where  we  now  are  ;  and  we  have  come  with 
great  hopes  that  since  in  this  city  of  yours  there  are  pepper 
and  drugs,  we  should  fall  in  with  our  fleet ;  and  since  we 
have  not  found  it  we  are  sorrowful,  for  we  do  not  know 
what  we  are  to  do ;  and  this  is  the  reason  of  our  coming  and 
what  we  seek/^     When  the  King  heard  all  this  message  he 
was  much  surprised  ;  and  in  talking  of  it  with  his  own  people, 
he  said  that  it  would  be  well,  since  our  people  had  put  into 
port,  to  know  what  merchandise  they  Avished  to  buy,  and 
what  merchandise  they  had  brought  to  sell  ?  What  the  King  | 
said  seemed  good  to  all ;  and  his  chief  factor,  who  is  the  |l 
director  of  the  exchequer  of  the  sea-trade,  then  asked  the  , 
Moor  how  it  was  that  he  was  going  about  with  the  Christians,  j 
The  Moor  related  to  him  how  it  was,  and  in  what  place  they 
had  taken  him  on  board,  and  how  since  he  had  been  with 
the  Portuguese  he  had  seen  them  act  as  such  ^oodjmen ;  and 
because  they  paid  him  well  he  would  serve  them  and  go 
with  them  to  the  end  of  the  world  if  they  wished  it.     He 
also  gave  them  a  long  account  of  the  magnificence  with 
which  they  had  acted  towards  the  King  of  Melinde,  and  the 
valuable  things  which  they  had  given  him  ;  upon  which  the 
King  felt  a  great  longing  to  obtain  as  much  from  our  people: 
and  he  sent  to  say  to  the  captain-major  that  he   grieved 
much  for  his  ill-fortune,  and  rejoiced  at  his  fleet  having 
arrived  at  his  port ;  that  as  to  the  cargo  which  he  was  going 
in  search  of,  he  would  fill  his  ships  with  as  much  pepper  and 
drugs  as  they  wished  for,  and  would  give  him  on  payment 
whatever  there  was  in  the  city ;  and  in  the  meantime  they 
might  do  what  they  pleased.     The  King  also  sent  the  Moor 


154  DESCRIPTION    OF    THE 

in  a  boat  with  many  figs,  fowls,  and  cocoa-nuts  fresli  and 
dry.  The  good  brothers  were  much  pleased  on  hearing  the 
King^s  message,  and  gave  great  praise  to  the  Lord.  Having 
taken  counsel  together,  they  sent  many  thanks  to  the  King 
for  his  reply,  and  for  the  refreshments,  and  said  that  they 
accepted  it  out  of  courtesy,  but  that  they  could  neither 
accept,  nor  buy,  nor  sell  anything  without  first  establishing 
peace  and  friendship  ;  because  if  they  did  not  first  make  that 
agreement  they  could  do  nothing,  for  such  were  the  regula- 
tions received  from  their  King,  and  if  they  did  not  act  in  that 
manner  he  would  order  their  heads  to  be  cut  off:  for  that 
reason  they  would  do  nothing  and  would  return  thence  if 
they  did  not  first  establish  peace,  for  their  King  did  not  wish 
to  trade  except  with  his  friends.  And  if  he  wished  to  know 
the  reason  of  first  establishing  peace,  they  would  give  the 
King's  own  embassage  which  he  had  sent  to  be  given  to  the 
King  who  should  give  them  the  cargo  ;  and  if  he  was  pleased 
to  admit  of  this  he  should  send  hostages,  as  was  the  custom 
in  a  new  country,  for  the  captain-major  to  go  on  shore  and 
give  an  explanation  of  his  embassage^  \ 

The  city  of  Calecut,  as  it  was  the  principal  one  of  India,  on 
account  of  its  great  trade  since  ancient  times,  was  all  inhabited 
by  foreign  and  native  Moors,  the  richest  that  there  were 
in  all  India.  There  were  Moors  of  Grand  Cairo  who  brought 
large  fleets  of  many  ships  with  much  trade  of  valuable  goods, 
which  they  brought  from  Mecca,  and  they  took  back  in 
return  pepper  and  drugs,  and  all  the  other  richest  merchan- 
dise of  India,  with  which  they  acquired  great  wealth ;  and 
the  people  who  are  natives  of  the  country  have  no  profit 
from  it  nor  income,  but  only  enough  to  sustain  themselves 
with ;  this  sustenance  is  of  little  cost  as  I  will  explain  in  its 
place  in  this  book.  As  they  are  ill  off  for  wealth  they  are 
much  subject  to  the  Moors  who  are  so  rich,  and  this  espe- 
cially in  the  sea-ports,  in  which  they  are  rich  from  the  great 
resources  which  they  draw  from  trade  with  the  Moors ;  from 


MOORS    OP    MALABAR,  155 

this  trade  the  Moors  were  very  powerful,  and  had  so  estab- 
lished and  ingratiated  themselves  in  the  countries  of  the  sea 
ports,  that  they  were  more  influential  and  respected  than 
the  natives  themselves,  so  that  many  of  the  heathen  became 
Moors,  in  such  manner  that  they  were  more  people  than 
the  natives,  by  a  diabolical  method  which  the  Moors  found  ;^ 
because  in  this  region  of  Malabar  the  race  of  gentlemen  is 
called  Nairs,  who  are  the  people  of  war  :  they  are  people  who 
are  very  refined  in  blood  and  customs,  and  separated  from 
all  other  low  people,  and  so  much  do  they  value  themselves 
that  no  one  of  them  ever  turned  Moor ;  only  the  low  people 
turned  Moors,  who  worked  in  the  bush  and  in  the  fields. 
And  these  people  are  so  accursed  that  they  cannot  go  by 
any  road  without  shouting,  so  that  the  Nairs  may  not  come 
up  suddenly  and  meet  them,  because  they  kill  them  at  once, 
for  they  always  carry  their  arms,  and  these  low  people  may 
not  carry  arms  to  defend  themselves ;  and  when  they  go 
along  thus  shouting  if  any  Nair  shouts  to  them  they  at  once 
get  into  the  bush  very  far  from  the  road.  The  Moors, 
understanding  that  it  was  a  good  way  to  increase  their  sect, 
said  to  the  Kiag,  and  to  the  rulers  of  the  places  in  which 
they  traded,  that  they  met  with  great  difficulties  with  their 
merchandise,  because  they  had  not  got  labourers  to  cart  it 
from  one  point  to  another,  because  the  labourers,  being  low 
people,  could  not  go  amongst  other  people,  as  the  Nairs  would 
kill  them  whenever  they  met  them,  and  therefore  they  would 
esteem  it  a  favour  if  those  of  the  low  people  who  might  turn 

'  The  diabolical  method  of  the  Moors  was  to  set  their  faces  against 
distinctions  of  race,  whilst  the  Portuguese  adopted  them,  and  have  per- 
petuated them  by  the  word  of  their  own  language  which  expresses  race, 
namely  casta.  Though  the  Arabs  had  come  to  Malabar  and  established 
their  trade  there  six  hundred  years  before,  they  had  not  thought  of  seizing 
the  country;  and  when  they  converted  the  King  Serna-Perimal,  he 
divided  his  kingdom  among  his  relations,  and  went  away,  after  aban- 
doning his  state  and  wealth,  to  die  at  Mekkah.  See  The  Coasts  of  East 
Africa  and  Malabar,  p.  102  ;  and  Camoens,  ('auto  vii,  32-35. 


_) 


156  DESCRirTION    OF    THE    MOORS    OF    MALABAR. 

Moors  should  be  able  to  go  freely  wherever  they  pleased  ; 
I  since,  being  Moors,  they  would  then  be  outside  of  the 
Malabar  religion  and  usages,  and  that  they  might  be  able  to 
touch  all  sorts  of  people ;  because  if  this  was  not  agreed  to 
they  would  not  be  able  to  transport  their  goods  to  sell  them 
in  their  provinces.  At  the  same  time  giving  some  fees  to  the 
magistrates  and  confidantes  of  the  King,  they  succeeded  in 
'^  '  getting  this  consented  to.  On  which  account  these  low 
people  [desired]  to  enjoy  so  great  an  advantage,  because 
they  were  such  accursed  people  that  they  lived  in  the  bush 
and  in  fields,  where  they  ate  nothing  but  herbs  and  land 
crabs,  and  by  becoming  Moors  they  could  go  where  they 
liked,  and  gain  their  livelihood,  and  eat  as  they  pleased. 
When  they  became  Moors  the  Moors  gave  them  cloths  and 
robes  with  which  to  clothe  themselves,  and  so  many  of  them 
became  Moors  and  were  converted  to  the  religion  of  Mo- 
hammed, and  they  increased  so  much  in  numbers  that  all 
the  country  became  full  of  them ;  which  caused  these  Moors 
to  be  very  influential  and  powerful  by  their  trade  through  all 
the  countries,  and  especially  in  this  country  of  Malabar,  and 
above  all  in  this  city  of  Calecut,  where  they  had  their  prin- 
cipal port  for  shipping  pepper  and  drugs,  which  they  trans- 
ported to  Mecca,  and  spread  over  Turkey,  and  thence  to 
all  the  provinces  of  Christendom  by  exchange  from  country 
,     to  country, 

^"^  ^^  As  these  things  were  so,  the  Moors  of  Calecut,  in  which 
^  1^'  '  ;  city  there  were  many  who  were  acquainted  with  the  affairs 
of  Christendom,  perceived  the  great  inconvenience  and  cer- 
tain destruction  which  would  fall  upon  them  and  upon  their 
trade,  if  the  Portuguese  should  establish  trade  in  Calecut, 
which  they  would  immediately  afterwards  do  throughout 
all  the  Indian  countries ;  and,  taking  counsel  amongst  one 
another,  they  all  agreed  that  with  all  the  power  of  them- 
selves and  their  property,  they  should  get  the  Portuguese 
turned  out  of  the  country,  which  they  would  also  do  in  all 


DELIBERATIONS    OP    THE    MOORS    OP    CALECUT.  157 

the  other  parts,  in  such  manner  as  that  they  should  not  be 
able  to  trade  nor  profit,  nor  establish  men  at  arms,  whom 
the  Portuguese  would  be  unable  to  maintain  because  they 
were  from  a  very  distant  country;  and  in  navigating  to  India 
the  sea  would  swallow  up  so  many  that  a  sufficient  number 
of  them  never  could  come  to  India  to  make  themselves 
masters  of  it,  and  take  possession  of  countries,  and  deprive 
them  of  the  great  footing  and  powers  which  they  held  in 
India.  With  these  calculations  thus  set  on  foot  among 
themselves,  they  wrote  and  made  known  their  determination 
to  all  the  others  of  all  the  coast  of  India,  who  were  very 
ready  to  give  all  necessary  assistance  in  person  and  pro- 
perty. With  this  design  they  spoke  to  the  King's  chief 
factor,  who  was  the  principal  overseer  of  his  exchequer,  also 
to  the  King's  Gosil,  who  is  the  minister  of  justice;  and  they 
spoke  to  him  in  secret,  after  the  manner  of  true  friends, 
saying  that  they,  as  sincere  friends  of  the  King,  for  whose 
service  they  would  spend  their  lives  and  property,  told  him, 
that  they  as  persons  so  deserving  of  credit  would  tell  the  King 
and  warn  him  to  take  precautions  and  consideration  as  to 
what  he  did  with  the  Portuguese,  because,  without  any  doubt, 
they  were  men  who  had  got  such  wealth  in  their  own  country, 
that  they  did  not  undergo  all  this  labour  for  trade,  but  only 
to  conquer  countries  and  acquire  honours  by  arms,  and  that 
first  they  had  been  sent  to  see  and  spy,  in  order  later  to 
come  and  take  these  countries ;  for  which  reason  it  might 
doubtless  be  believed  that  these  who  came  in  these  ships  did 
not  come  for  anything  else,  except  under  the  cloak  of  mer- 
chants who  come  to  establish  peace  and  trade,  and  briog 
presents  and  feigned  pretences  only  to  see  and  spy,  and 
afterwards  come  to  conquer  and  plunder ;  and  this  was  easily 
seen,  since  they  came  from  so  distant  a  country  with  two 
ships  to  trade  and  take  in  cargo ;  therefore  they  (the  Moors) 
had  given  information  and  warning  to  the  King  that  he 
might  look  to  what  he  should  do  with  the  Portuguese.     The 


/ 


158       PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  MOORS  OF  CALECUT. 

Gozil  and  overseer  of  the  revenue,  being  wary  men,  at  once 
occupied  themselves  with  this  matter,  and  conversing  to- 
gether upon  it,  they  understood  that  what  the  Moors  had 
said  was  all  because  they  did  not  wish  to  see  other  traders 
who  would  injure  their  commerce,  and  that  the  fears  which 
they  were  instilling  were  all  emptiness  and  wind,  because 
there  was  no  power  in  the  world  sufficiently  great  to  take 
Calecut,  in  which  there  were  two   hundred  thousand  men 
available  for  war.     So  the  two  talked  the  matter  well  over 
together,  with  the  hopes  which  they  entertained  of  the  fees 
which  the  Moors  gave  them,  all  which  they  might  gain  ac- 
cording to  the  proceedings  which  they  took  in  this  affair ; 
and  they  gave  some  hints  to  the  Moors  that  they  thought 
well  of  what  they  had  said,  and  that  they  would  from  affection 
for  them  do  everything  to  prevent  the  Portuguese  injuring 
their  commerce.     Upon  this  the  Moors,  being  much  pleased, 
at  once  gave  them  large  presents  and  secured  their  goodwill. 
For  it  is  notorious  that  officials  take  more  pleasure  in  bribes 
than  in  the  appointments  of  their  offices.    With  this  founda- 
tion, which  the  Moors  established  by  this  means,  they  caused 
later  to  the  Portuguese  great  evils  and  hardships,  as  will  be 
seen  further  on.    This  overseer  of  the  treasury  and  the  Gozil 
were  made  firm  in  their  own  interests,  of  deriving  for  their 
profit  all  that  they  could  obtain  from  the  Moors,  which  was 
the  chief  object ;  also  that  of  showing  to  the  King  that  they 
took  good  care  to  look  after  the  business  of  his  service,  and 
what  was  advantageous  to  him ;  and  they  touched  upon  this 
matter  to  the  King,  without  giving  him  an  account  of  the 
information  which  the  Moors  had  given  them.     The  King 
was  very  vain  on  account  of  his  much  grandeur,  and  covetous 
by  disposition.     He  said  to  his  people,  that  in  the  whole 
world  there  was  no  power  which  he  feared  so  as  to  omit 
carrying  out  his  will,  so   that  whoever  came  to  him  with 
deceit  would  get  nothing  for  his  pains.    Whilst  he  was  under 
the  influence  of  this  fancy,  the  Moor  came  with  the  captain- 


GAMA  SENDS  A  SCOUT  ON  SHORE.  159 

major's  message,  as  has  been  related  above ;  when  the  King 
heard  it  he  talked  it  over  with  his  confidantes,  taking  their 
opinions  as  to  what  he  ought  to  do ;  and  they  said  they 
would  consider  about  it,  since  affairs  done  in  a  hui'ry  for  the 
most  part  were  done  wrong,  and  besides  that  the  condition 
of  kings  was  to  do  their  business  leisurely>i-  This,  therefore, 
seeming  good  to  the  King,  he  ordered  the  Moor  to  come, 
and  told  him  to  return  to  the  captain-major  and  that  he 
would  send  him  a  reply;  but  if,  meanwhile,  he  required 
anything  on  shore,  he  might  send  in  security  to  purchase  it. 
It  seemed  to  the  captain-major  that  these  were  State  fashions 
of  the  King  for  giving  his  reply ;  but  he  thought  it  advan- 
tageous to  send  on  shore  a  man  who,  in  the  guise  of  a  buyer, 
might  see  the  people  of  the  city.  For  this  purpose  he  sent 
one  Joao  Nuz  (Nunez),^,a  banished  man,  who  could  speak 
Arabic  and  Hebrew,  and  who  was  a  new  Christian,  and  a 
man  of  subtle  understanding,  who  already  understood  the 
speech  of  the  Moor,  but  could  not  speak  it ;  and  Vasco  da 
Gama  spoke  to  him  and  told  him  to  go  ashore  with  the 
Moor  with  money  to  buy  things  to  eat,  and  to  look  well 
all  over  the  city,  and  at  the  manner  of  the  inhabitants,  and 
to  listen  well  to  what  he  heard ;  and  not  to  speak  nor  answer 
questions,  and  to  see  what  things  were  sold,  and  ask  the 
Moor  about  the  prices,  and  not  buy  anything  except  things 
to  eat,  and  to  return  to  sleep  on  board  the  ship ;  having 
given  him  full  instructions  as  to  what  was  requisite,  he  de- 
spatched him,  and  told  the  Moor  to  go  ashore  and  always  take 
Joap  Nuz  with  him,  and  not  let  him  separate  from  him,  and 
to  shew  him  all  the  things  which  were  sold  in  the  shops, 
which  were  articles  hot  included  in  merchandise,  and  which 
he  would  have  pleasure  in  carrying  back  to  Portugal  to  show, 

•  This  speech  seems  very  genuine,  and  much  resembles  many  passages 
in  the  sixth  chapter  of  the  Fables  of  Pilpay  or  Humayiin  Nameh,  on  the 
evils  of  precipitation. 

2  The  printed  edition  calls  hira  Joan  Martins. 


^''*'   160  THE    SCOUT    ADDRESSED    IN    SPANISH. 

but  not  to  buy  anytbinor,  because  he  could  not  buy  tliem  ex- 
cept after  peace  and  trade  bad  been  established.  When 
these  two  landed  and  the  people  saw  a  Portuguese,  they 
crowded  so  much  to  see  him  that  they  smothered  him,  at 
which  the  Moor  saw  himself  so  molested  that  he  went  to  the 
house  of  the  Gozil,  who  was  much  pleased  at  seeing  Joan 
Nuz  :  and  having  learned  from  the  Moor  how  they  had  been 
importuned,  he  sent  with  them  a  servant  of  his,  one  of  the 
Nairs,  to  make  the  people  keep  off,  so  that  they  went  about 
without  restraint  from  the  people.  The  Moors  seeing  Joan 
Nuz,  and  some  of  them  having  spoken  to  him  without  his 
answering,  arranged  with  the  Gozil  that  he  should  not  let 
him  go  at  night  to  the  ship,  but  that  he  should  stay  on  shore, 
because  they  would  find  some  one  to  talk  to  him  and  learn  from 
him  what  they  desired.  The  Moor  and  the  Portuguese  on 
going  to  the  beach  did  not  find  a  skiff,  for  it  was  already 
night,  and  returned  to  the  house  of  the  Gozil,  and  proceeding 
thither  they  fell  in  with  a  Moor  who  spoke  to  Joan  Nuz  in 
Castilian,  as  if  he  was  amazed  at  seeing  him,  and  he  said 
to  him,  "  Brother,  God  preserve  j^ou."^     Joan  Nuz  replied, 

'  Cainoeiis,  Canto  vii,  24. 
Entre  a  gente,  que  a  vcl-o  concorria, 
Se  chega  hum  Maliometa,  que  nascido 
F6ra  na  regiao  da  Berberia, 
La  onde  f  ora  Anteo  obedecido  : 
Ou  pela  visinhanc^a  ja  teria 
O  reino  Lusitano  conhecido, 
Ou  foi  ja  assinalado  de  seu  ferro, 
Fortuna  o  trouxe  a  tao  loiigo  desterro. 

25. 
Km  vendo  o  mensageiro,  com  jocundo 
Rosto,  como  quern  sabe  a  lingua  Hispana, 
Lhe  disse  :  Quem  te  trouxe  a  estoutro  mundo, 
Tao  longe  da  tua  patria  Lusitana? 
Abrindo,  lhe  responde,  o  mar  profundo, 
l:*or  onde  nunca  veio  gente  humana, 
Vimos  buscar  do  Indo  a  grao  corrente, 
Por  onde  a  Lei  divina  se  accresccnte. 


MEETING    WITH    THE    CASTILIAN    MOOR.  101 

"  God  give  you  health,"  and  he  felt  great  delight  at  hearing 
him  speak  thus.  The  Castihan  inquired  where  he  was  going? 
they  told  him  that  they  could  not  find  a  boat  to  go  on  board, 
and  were  therefore  going  to  sleep  at  the  house  of  the  Gozil. 
The  Castihan  then  said  that  they  should  not  go  there,  that 
he  had  a  house  in  which  he  would  rejoice  that  they  should 

26. 
Espantado  ficou  da  grao  viagem 
O  Mouro,  que  Mon^aide  se  chamava, 
Ouvindo  as  oppressoes,  que  na  passagem 
Do  mar,  o  Lusitano  llie  contava  : 
Mas  vendo  em  fim,  que  a  forcja  da  mensagem 
So  para  o  Rei  da  terra  relevava, 
Lhe  diz,  que  estava  fora  da  cidade, 
Mas  de  caminho  pouca  quantidade  : 

27. 
E  que,  em  tan  to  que  a  nova  lhe  chegasse 
De  sua  estranha  vinda,  se  queria, 
Na  sua  pobre  casa  repousasse, 
E  do  manjar  da  terra  comeria  : 
E,  despois  que  se  hum  pouco  recreasse, 
Com  elle  para  a  armada  tornaria ; 
Que  alegria  nao  pode  ser  tamanha. 
Que  achar  gente  visinha  em  terra  estranha. 

28. 
O  Portuguez  acceita  de  vontade 
O  que  o  ledo  Mon(jaide  lhe  offerece : 
Como  se  longa  fora  ja  a  amizade, 
Com  elle  come  e  bebe,  e  lhe  obedece : 
Ambos  se  tornam  logo  da  cidade 
Para  a  frota,  que  o  Monro  bem  conhece, 
Sobera  k  capitaina,  e  toda  a  gente 
Moncjaide  recebeo  benignamente. 

29. 
O  capitao  o  abra^a  em  cabo  ledo, 
Ouvindo  clara  a  lingua  de  Castella, 
Junto  de  si  o  assenta,  e  prompto  e  quedo, 
Pela  terra  pergunta,  e  cousas  della. 
Qual  se  ajuntava  em  Rhddope  o  arvoredo, 
S6  por  ouvir  o  amante  da  donzella 
Eurydice,  tocando  a  lyra  de  ouro, 
Tal  a  gente  se  ajunta  k  ouvir  o  Mouro. 


162  MEETING    OF    GAMA^S    MESSENGER 

sleep,  and  eat  as  much  as  they  pleased.  They  thanked  him, 
and  when  about  to  go  with  him,  the  Nair  would  not  permit  it 
unless  they  first  went  to  the  house  of  the  Gozil,  where  the 
Castilian  went  with  them ;  there  the  Castilian  told  the  Gozil 
that  he  wished  to  take  those  guests  to  his  house,  if  he  would 
give  him  permission ;  and  the  Gozil  said  he  might.     Then 

30. 
EUe  comme^a  :  O  gente,  que  a  natura 
Visinha  fez  de  meu  paterno  ninho, 
Que  destino  tao  grande,  ou  que  ventura, 
Vos  trouxe  a  commeterdes  tal  caminho  ? 
Nao  he  sem  causa,  nao,  occulta  e  escura, 
Vir  do  longinquo  Tejo,  e  ignoto  Minho, 
Por  mares  nunca  d'  outro  lenho  arados 
A  reinos  tao  remotos  e  apartados. 

31. 
Deos  por  certo  vos  traz  ;  porque  pretende 
Algum  servi9o  seu  por  vos  obrado  : 
Por  isso  so  vos  guia,  e  vos  defende 
Dos  imigos,  do  mar,  do  vento  irado. 
Sabei,  que  estais  na  India,  onde  se  estende 
Diverso  povo,  rico,  e  prosperado 
De  ouro  luzeute,  e  fina  pedraria, 
Cheiro  suave,  ardente  especiaria. 

Canto  VII,  24. 
Amongst  the  rout,  which  him  did  swarm  to  see, 
Comes  one,  trayn'd  up  in  the  Arabian's  lore, 
Having  been  born  in  land  of  Barbaric, 
There,  where  Anteus  was  obey'd  of  yore. 
Whether,  the  Lusitanian  people,  he 
Knew  meerly  as  a  neighbour  to  that  shore  ; 
Or  (bitten  with  their  steel)  was  sent  so  far 
On  Fortune's  errand  by  the  chance  of  war. 

25. 
The  messenger  with  jocund  face  survay'd. 
He  in  plain  Spanish  gave  him  thus  the  haile ; 
How  to  this  world,  in  name  of  Heav'n  (cara'rade) 
So  distant  from  thy  native  Portugale  ! 
Op'ning  a  passage  through  rough  seas  (he  said) 
Which  never  mortal  wight  before  did  sayle, 
We  come  to  seek  of  Indus  the  great  streame, 
Whereby  to  propagate  the  Gospel's  beam. 


WITH    THE    CASTILIAN    MOOR.  163 

the  Castilian  Moor  took  them  to  his  house,  and  gave  them  a 
good  supper,  asking  them  about  their  fortunes  in  having 
come  as  far  as  that  country,  and  of  what  they  came  to  seek. 
Upon  all  which  Joan  Nuz  gave  him  information  according 
as  he  had  been  indoctrinated  by  the  captain-major.  The 
Castilian  told  him  that  he  was  a  native  of  Seville,  and  when 

26. 
Astonisht  at  so  great  a  voyage  stood 
The  Moor  (his  name  Monsayde),  briefly  told 
Their  sad  disasters  on  the  azure  flood, 
And  hair-breadth  scapes,  by  this  same  Lusian  bold. 
But  since,  his  main  afi'air  (he  understood) 
Unto  the  King  alone  he  would  unfold  ; 
He  tells  him,  he  at  present  is  not  there, 
Being  retir'd  into  the  countrey  neer. 

27. 
So  that  (until  the  news  at  Court  have  bin 
Of  their  prodigious  passage  through  the  mayn) 
Please  him,  to  make  his  homely  nest,  his  inne  ; 
With  victuals  of  the  land  hee'l  entertain 
Him  there  :  and,  being  well  refresht  therein, 
Himself  will  bring  him  to  the  fleet  again. 
For  that,  the  world  hath  not  a  thing  more  sweet, 
Than  in  a  distant  land  when  neighbours  meet. 

28. 
The  Portingall  with  bosome  not  ingrate 
Accepts  the  offer,  kind  Monsayde  made. 
As  if  their  friendship  were  of  ancient  date. 
With  him,  he  eat,  and  drank,  as  he  was  pray'd. 
Towards  the  ships  (that  done)  return  they  straight : 
Which  the  Moor  knew  when  he  the  build  survay'd. 
They  climbe  the  Am'ral,  where  both  man  and  boy. 
Receive  Monsayde  with  a  gen'ral  joy. 

29. 
The  captain  (rapt)  him  in  his  arms  did  squeeze, 
Hearing  the  music  of  the  Spanish  tongue ; 
And  (seated  by  him)  shrieves  him  by  degrees 
Touching  the  land,  and  things  thereto  that  long. 
But  as  in  Thracian  Rhodope  the  trees 
And  bruits,  to  hear  his  golden  lute  did  throng 
Who  did  his  lost  Euridice  deplore  ; 
So  throng'd  the  common  men  to  hear  the  More. 

k2 


c-^ 


\,' 


164  THE    CASTILIAN    MOOR 

a  boy  of  few  years  had  been  a  prisoner,  and  had  undergone 
various  captivities  until  a  master  of  his  had  died  and  had  left 
him  free,  and  to  make  his  life  secure  he  had  taken  the  name 
and  ceremonies  of  a  Moor,  but  that  God  in  heaven,  to 
whom  he  recommended  himself,  knew  that  his  soul  was 
/  Christian.^  Joan  Nuz  rejoiced  much  at  hearing  him,  espe- 
cially because  the  Moor  (the  broker)  understood  very  little 
of  what  they  were  talking,  for  Joan  Nuz  also  spoke  to  him 

'  Barros  and  Camoens  relate  that  this  Moor,  whom  they  name  Mon- 
zaide,  was  a  native  of  the  kingdom  of  Tunis,  and  had  already  had  com- 
munications with  the  Portuguese  at  Oran;  and  that  either  from  remem- 
brance of  the  west,  where  he  had  been  born,  or  from  some  other  good 
disposition  which  moved  him  on  seeing  the  Portuguese,  and  speaking 
to  them  in  Castilian,  from  the  moment  he  entered  the  ships,  he  became 

I  intimate  with  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  came  with  him  to  Portugal,  where 
he  died  a  Christian. 

The  account  of  his  origin  and  of  the  motives  of  his  assisting  the  Por- 
tuguese related  by  Correa  is  much  more  probable  than  that  of  Barros ; 
it  is  also  more  agreeable  to  human  nature,  since,  according  to  the  account 

I  of  Barros,  if  he  had  been  an  Arab  from  Tunis  he  would  have  been  an 

'  unmitigated  traitor. 


30. 
He  thus  begins.     O  men  !  whom  Nature  plac't 
Neer  to  the  nest  where  I  my  birth  did  take ; 
What  chance,  or  stronger  destiny,  so  vast 
So  hard  a  voyage,  made  you  undertake  ? 
For  some  hid  cause  from  Tagus  are  ye  past, 
And  unknown  Minius,  through  that  horrid  lake 
On  which  no.barke  before  did  ever  floate, 
To  kingdoms  so  conceal'd,  and  so  remote. 

31. 
God,  God  hath  brought  you  :  He  hath  (sure)  some  grand 
And  special  business  here  for  you  to  do. 
For  this  alone  He  leads  you  by  strong  hand 
Through  foes,  seas,  stormes,  and  with  a  heavenly  clew. 
India  is  this,  with  sev'ral  nations  man'd; 
Great  Nature's  bounty  all  beholding  to 
For  glist'ring  gold,  for  sparkling  stones  of  price. 
For  odoriferous  gums,  for  burning  spice. 

Fanshaw. 


VISITS    GAMA^S    SHIPS.  165 

in  Castilian  ;  and  lie  told  the  Castilian  that  he  should  be  very- 
glad  if  he  would  come  to  the  ships  to  speak  to  the  captain- 
major.  He  said  that  he  would  go  willingly,  and  the  Gozil 
would  give  him  leave ;  and  they  went  to  sleep.  Next  day 
they  had  leave  of  the  Gozil,  and  they  all  went  to  the  ship, 
where,  on  entering,  the  Castilian  made  his  salutation,  taking 
off  his  cap  in  his  hand,  and  spoke  to  the  captains  who  were 
sitting  together  on  chairs,  and  said,  "  God  give  you  good 
fortune.  Who  has  brought  you  to  this  port.'^  The  captain- 
major  replied,  "  Honoured  Castilian,  God  give  you  health." 
The  people  hearing  them  thus  speaking  Castilian  wept  with 
joy.  The  captain-major  showed  him  great  honour,  and  made 
him  sit  on  a  stool,  and  continued  talking  to  him  and  asking 
him  many  questions  as  to  his  fortunes  and  how  he  had  come 
thither?  to  all  which  he  answered  :  and  when  it  was  time  to 
dine,  the  captain-major  ordered  dinner  to  be  set  for  him  at 
a  table  at  which  he  and  Joan  Nuz  ate ;  and  the  captains 
dined  at  another  table.  When  dinner  was  over  they  retired 
to  the  cabin  with  the  Castilian,  to  whom  the  captain-major 
also  gave  an  account  of  how  they  had  arrived  at  this  port, 
in  the  same  manner  as  Joan  Nuz  had  related  it ;  and  the 
captain-major  said  that  he  was  resolved  to  establish  peace 
with  the  King,  and  to  give  him  his  embassage  and  the  pre- 
sent which  he  had  brought  for  him,  and  there  to  take  in 
cargo  for  the  ships,  but  he  did  not  know  if  he  should  take 
the  right  steps  or  go  wrong,  because  he  was  not  acquainted 
with  the  position  of  the  King  and  of  the  inhabitants,  nor  of 
the  commerce  of  the  country.  The  Castilian  Moor,  inspired 
by  God,  said  to  him,  "Gentlemen,  captains,  listen  well  to 
what  I  say  to  you :  when  I  entered  this  ship  I  had  in  my 
heart  treason  towards  you,  which  I  will  relate,  but  on  enter- 
ing this  cabin  God  commanded  my  heart  to  speak  to  you  the 
truth,  and  I  verily  believe  that  He  disposed  that  you  should 
arrive  here  for  much  good,  which  it  pleases  the  Lord  that 
you  should  meet  with,  delivering  you  from  so  many  perils  of 


v" 


166  INTERVIEW    OF    THE    CASTILIAN    MOOR 

the  sea,  and  now  from  those  of  the  land,  which  it  pleases 
Him  that  you  may  be  delivered  from  by  me  by  my  discover- 
ing to  you  the  whole  truth.    For  you  must  know,  gentlemen, 
I  that  from  the  moment  you  put  into  port  here  you  caused 
disturbance  of  mind  to  the  Moors  of  this  city,  who  are  nu- 
merous and  very  powerful  in  the  country  on  account  of  their 
great  riches  and  commerce.    These,  on  seeing  the  ships  and 
knowing  that  they  belonged  to  Christians,  of  whom  they  are 
mortal  enemies,  knowing  also  that  you  were  sending  a  mes- 
sage to  the  King  for  the  purpose  of  treating  with  him  and 
establishing  peace  and  friendship,  which  would  not  be  unless 
with  the  object  of  establishing  trade,  assembled  all  their 
chief  men  and  held  councils  in  which  they  agreed  to  employ 
themselves  in  person  and  property  in  turning  you  out  of 
India,  not  only  from  this  place,  but  also  from  all  the  other 
ports  of  the  whole  of  this  coast ;  for  in  all  of  them  there  is 
a  great  number  of  Moors,  both  rich  and  powerful,  as  in  this 
city.    They  have  written  their  letters  upon  this  determination, 
and  no  doubt  but  that  the  replies  will  not  be  delayed  many 
days,  without  doubt  also  all  will  be  much  gratified  at  this 
consultation  ;  and  these  here  are  already  thoroughly  agreed 
with  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  and  with  the  Grozil,  to  injure 
you  as  much  as  they  can  with  the  King.     As  I  am  known 
to  all,  and  they  are  aware  that  I  am  from  the  parts  of  Chris- 
tendom, as  I  have  related  it  frequently,  it  seemed  to  them 
that  I,  better  than  any  one  else,  could  deceive  and  betray 
you,  and  they  promised  me  large  gifts  to  induce  me  to  in- 
troduce myself  feignedly  into  your  friendship  in  order  to 
learn  your  secrets,  and  give  them  information  of  everything. 
I  speak  to  you  the  truth,  that  it  was  with  this  design  and 
thought  that  I  brought  into  my  house  your  men  as  guests, 
so  that  by  that  friendship  I  might  gain  admittance  to  your- 
selves j  and  here,  on  entering  this  cabin  where  I  now  am, 
my  heart  felt  much  fear  of  God,  which  directed  me  to  do 
good  to  you.    Now  that  I  have  told  you  the  truth,  command 


WITH    THE    PORTUGUESE    CAPTAINS.  167 

me  what  I  am  to  do^  and  you  will  see  whether  I  am  false  or 
true,  for  in  my  opinion  it  is  not  right  that  you  should  trust 
to  me,  since  you  see  me  as  a  Moor  and  amongst  Moors/^ 
Having  heard  all  this  the  captains  answered  the  Moor,  that 
it  was  a  great  matter  which  he  had  related  to  them,  and  that 
already  for  that  much  they  were  under  great  obligations  to 
him,  as  he  would  see  by  his  recompense  after  that  they  had 
experienced  his  truth ;  and  they  begged  him  much  to  advise 
them  as  to  the  manner  they  were  to  assume  towards  him, 
in  order  to  avail  themselves  of  the  good  which  he  wished  to 
do  them,  and  that  it  should  not  be  perceived  by  the  Moors 
lest  they  should  do  him  any  harm.  The  Castilian  repHed, 
that  he  would  give  them  his  opinion,  but  that  they  should 
do  whatever  they  thought  for  the  best,  afld  it  was  that  they 
should  not  consent  to  his  returning  again  on  board  the  ships  ; 
and  that  on  shore,  with  those  who  went  there  he  would  do 
the  best  he  could ;  and,  that  his  own  people  might  not  per- 
ceive it,  they  should  dismiss  him  with  fair  words,  saying,  that 
he  should  not  take  the  trouble  to  return  to  the  ship  except 
with  their  leave,  which  would  be  given  after  that  peace  was 
established.  This  seemed  to  them  the  best,  and  so  they 
settled  it ;  then,  after  much  conversation,  they  came  out 
to  the  quarter-deck,  where  they  remained  talking  of  many 
things  which  the  Castilian  related,  and  all  the  crew  re- 
joiced at  hearing  them.  Then  the  captain-major  ordered 
five  ells  of  very  fine  green  cloth  to  be  given  him,  and  said 
that  he  had  much  enjoyed  hearing  so  many  things  as  he  had 
told  them  of,  and  that  he  might  go  on  shore  with  good  luck, 
and  that  he,  the  captain-major,  was  waiting  for  a  message 
from  the  King  to  go  on  shore,  and  if  he  went  there  he  would 
be  very  glad  if  the  Castilian  were  to  go  with  him  to  speak 
to  the  King,  since  he  knew  the  language  of  the  country. 
The  Castilian  replied  :  "  Sir,  no  one  can  go  before  the  King 
except  when  he  commands  it ;  meantime  I  shall  be  very  glad 
to  serve  you  whenever  you  have  arranged  your  affairs  ;  there 


1G8  LANGUAGE  HELD  ON  SHOKE 

on  shore  I  am  at  your  service  for  this  favour  which  you  have 
done  me  without  my  having  deserved  it."  With  this  he 
took  leave  and  went  on  shore,  where  the  Moors  at  once 
spoke  to  him  of  what  he  had  found  out.  He  said  to  them 
that  he  had  talked  much  with  the  Portuguese,  and  had 
learned  from  them  that  they  had  started  from  Portugal  in 
company  with  a  large  fleet  which  their  King  had  sent  to  a 
country  to  take  in  cargo  of  drugs  and  pepper,  in  exchange 
for  merchandise,  and  that  in  a  storm  they  had  parted  com- 
pany from  the  rest ;  and  since  two  years  they  had  been 
going  about  as  lost^,  for  they  did  not  know  the  country  to 
which  they  were  going ;  that  only  the  captain-major  of  the 
fleet  carried  a  pilot  who  knew  the  country  where  they  were 
to  take  in  cargo,  which  was  a  new  country  to  which  as  yet 
they  had  not  navigated ;  and  they  carried  with  them  a  pre- 
sent and  letters  for  the  King  of  the  country  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  peace  and  friendship  before  that  they  bought  and 
sold ;  and  that  these  letters  and  presents  had  been  brought 
by  the  captain  of  these  ships,  who  was  the  ambassador  who 
was  to  go  on  shore  to  establish  peace  and  ti'ade ;  and  that, 
having  separated  from  their  companions,  they  had  been 
going  for  a  year  and  a  half  without  seeing  land  ;  and  they 
had  come  to  Mozambique,  where  evil  and  treachery  had  been 
wrought  against  them ;  so,  also,  the  people  of  Quiloa  and 
Bombaza  had  wished  to  act  towards  them,  from  which  places 
they  had  gone  to  Melinde,  where  they  had  met  with  good  at 
the  hands  of  the  King,  and  they  had  there  established  peace 
for  ever,  and  had  refitted  their  ships,  and  eat  and  slept  on 
shore  in  the  King^s  house ;  and  he,  on  learning  their  for- 
tunes, had  given  them  pilots  who  had  brought  them  hither, 

•  It  is  not  stated  why  Gama  misrepresented  and  increased  the 
length  of  time  employed  in  his  voyage ;  Barros  does  not  relate  this,  but  he 
confirms  it  indirectly,  since  he  says  the  Catual  urged  on  the  King  of 
Calecut  that  little  account  was  to  be  taken  of  the  Portuguese,  since  they 
required  two  years'  navigation  to  reach  Calecut.     Asia,  i,  lib.  iv,  cap.  ix. 


BY    THE    CASTILIAN    MOOR.  169 

for  they  thought  that  since  their  fleet  had  gone  to  seek 
pepper  and  drugs^  it  might  be  that  it  had  come  here  to 
Calecut ;  and  with  the  hope  of  finding  their  fleet  here,  they 
had  come  for  that  purpose,  and  on  not  falling  in  with  it, 
they  had  been  about  to  depart ;  but  since  here  they  had 
found  what  they  had  come  to  look  for,  they  would  take  in 
cargo,  if  the  King  would  establish  a  peace  with  them,  for 
which  object  they  would  give  him  the  letters  and  present  of 
their  King  which  they  had  brought  with  them,  and  which 
they  were  to  give  to  the  King  of  the  country  where  they 
should  take  in  cargo.  ■  "  Most  of  these  things,'^  said  the 
Castilian  Moor,  "  which  I  have  related  to  you  were  told  to 
me  by  the  captains,  and  they  were  told  me  by  a  broker 
whom  they  have  got  with  them,  and  by  the .  Melinde  pilots. 
They  gave  me  five  ells  of  cloth,  and  they  dismissed  me  like 
men  who  did  not  want  anything  more  of  me,  only  they 
begged  me  that  if  they  came  ashore  that  I  would  go  with 
them  to  the  King's  presence,  to  which  I  replied  to  them 
that  I  would  do  it  with  good  will,  but  that  no  one  could  go 
before  the  King  except  those  whom  he  commanded  to  do 
so  :  and  upon  that  they  sent  me  on  shore."  The  Moors  on 
hearing  these  things  from  the  Castilian  gave  much  credit  to 
him,  because  they  held  him  to  be  a  good  Moor.  All  of 
them  took  counsel  together,  and  said  that  since  the  King 
was  covetous  they  would  not  be  able  to  impede  his  speaking 
to  the  Portuguese ;  but  that  after  he  had  spoken  to  them 
and  received  their  present,  whilst  friendship  and  commerce 
were  being  established,  then  it  would  be  necessary  to  take 
such  measures  that  in  the  purchases  and  sales  they  should 
dispose  matters  so  that  they  should  not  take  in  cargo,  and 
should  go  away,  and  the  principal  part  of  this  business 
would  have  to  be  done  by  the  overseer  of  the  treasury,  and 
that  the  Gozil  should  cause  them  detention  before  speaking 
to  the  King,  so  that  they  should  be  out  of  humour,  and  give 
way  to  anger,  so  as  to  do  some  wrong,  which  would  be  the 


170  DELIBERATIONS    OF    THE    MOORS    OE    CALECUT. 

cause  of  their  effecting  notliiBg  ;  but  that  for  this  to  take 
place  they  must  give  so  much  to  the  overseer  of  the  treasury 
and  to  the  Gozil,  that  they  should  do  everything,  and  for  this 
they  must  not  value  money  in  a  matter  which  so  greatly  in- 
terested them,  since  it  was  certain  that  if  they  did  not  do 
so,  and  the  Portuguese  were  to  establish  trade,  they  would 
be  ruined.  And  if  it  should  perchance  happen  that  the 
King  were  to  speak  to  them  and  ask  their  advice,  they 
would  say  that  they  should  rejoice  at  everything  which 
was  to  his  advantage ;  but  that  he  ought  to  make  his  agree- 
ments with  the  Portuguese  with  such  precautions  that  evil 
should  not  befal  him  later,  because  the  Christians  were  very 
arrogant,  and  rested  satisfied  with  nothing,  and  giving  them 
one  thing  they  wanted  another,  and  if  that  was  not  given 
them,  they  would  take  it  by  force  ;^  and  they  would  cause 
him  to  feel  such  suspicion  of  the  Portuguese,  that  he  would 
never  confide  in  them,  from  which  something  might  arise 
on  account  of  which  they  might  be  turned  out  of  the  country ; 
which  being  the  case,  it  would  be  known  at  once  through- 
out the  country,  even  though  they  went  to  another  port,  no 
one  would  admit  them,  since  the  King  of  Calecut  had 
turned  them  out,  so  that  they  would  then  return  to  their 
own  country,  and  would  arrive  there,  or  not.  All  this  having 
been  well  talked  over  and  consulted  upon  amongst  the 
Moors,  they  then  spoke  to  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  and 
the  Gozil,  and  gave  them  much  money  and  rich  jewels ;  and 
they  engaged  on  their  part  to  do  all  in  their  power  with  the 
King,  and  to  counsel  him  not  to  admit  the  Portuguese  into 
the  country ;  the  Moors  offering  to  pay  the  King  all  the  loss 
that  he  might  suffer  from  this.  The  Portuguese,  after  the 
departure  of  the  Castilian,  continued  talking  of  what  they 

(  ^  If  the  history  of  the  Arabs  in  Spain  be  taken  into  consideration, 
there  was  nothing  exaggerated  in  this  picture,  and  subsequent  events  in 
Indui  proved  its  correctness.  Osorio  gives  a  long  speech  by  the  Moors 
to  the  King  of  Calecut,  like  that  given  by  Correa. 


\/ 


DELIBERATIONS    OF    GAMA    AND    HIS    CAPTAINS,  ]  71 

ouglit  to  do  if  the  King  sent  tliem  a  message  to  come  on 
shore ;  and  Nicholas  Coelho  came  to  this  council  from  the 
other  ship  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  where  he  always  remained ; 
then  they  related  to  him  all  the  warning  which  the  Castilian 
had  given  them  of  the  consultation  which  the  Moors  had 
held,  of  which. they  also  informed  the  masters  and  pilots, 
and  talked  it  over  with  them  ;  all  expressed  great  doubt  as 
to  the  captain-major's  going  on  shore,  since  there  was  so 
much  hazard  and  peril  of  life,  and  he  ought  not  to  run  any 
risk,  for  his  death  would  be  the  perdition  of  them  all  if  he 
were  killed  on  shore,  and  he  ought  not  to  go  there ;  and  if 
the  King  sent  for  him,  then  they  should  send  another  per- 
son saying  he  was  the  ambassador,  and  he  must  not  go  by 
any  manner  of  means  ;  and  this  all  agreed  to.  But  Vasco 
da  Gama,  as  he  was  ardent  in  the  service  which  he  desired 
to  render  to  the  King,  said :  "  Sir,  my  brother,  and  my 
friends,  you  must  know  that  since  I  embarked  in  this 
voyage  from  the  first,  before  God,  I  offered  my  life  and  soul 
for  it,  if  the  merciful  Lord  should  be  pleased  that  I  should 
bring  it  to  an  end,  if  it  was  for  His  holy  service ;  for  which 
reason  I  tell  you  in  truth  that  even  though  I  were  now 
within  the  bar  of  Lisbon,  I  would  not  go  in,  but  rather  by  my 
own  hands  would  seek  death  than  appear  before  the  King 
without  bringing  him  the  commission  which  he  charged  me 
with ;  and  because  I  settled  this  in  my  soul,  I  do  not  value 
my  life  at  anything ;  and  a  suflBciently  bad  account  would  be 
given  of  me  if,  from  fear  of  death,  I  were  to  put  a  man  in 
my  place  to  perform  that  which  is  so  much  my  obligation. 
Therefore,  without  any  doubt,  I  shall  go  on  shore,  and  I 
fear  nothing,  for  everything  is  in  the  hand  of  God.  For 
which,  my  brother  and  all  of  you,  for  the  sake  of  God, 
and  on  behalf  of  the  King  our  sovereign,  whatsoever  disaster 
or  death  may  happen  to  me,  I  require  you  not  to  desist  from 
labouring,  by  any  arrangement  which  may  seem  good  to  you, 
until  you  have  laden  these  ships,  or  as  much  of  them  as  may 


172  PREPARATIONS    OF    GAMA 

be  in  your  power;  and  if  you  should  be  unable  to  get  any 
cargo  to  sh,ow  to  the  King,  then  you  may  depart  at  once, 
and  return  to  Portugal  to  give  an  account  to  the  King  of 
what  we  have  accomplished  ;  and  if  you  should  be  unable  to 
depart  at  once  with  the  weather  which  you  may  have,  then 
go  along  the  coast  as  far  as  the  weather  serves  you,  and 
discover  as  much  as  you  can  see,  endeavouring  to  buy 
pepper  and  drugs,  and  things  of  this  country  as  samples ; 
and  take  nothing  by  force,  neither  on  the  land  nor  by  sea, 
that  the  reputation  which  the  Moors  give  of  us  may  not 
remain  true,  for  they  say  that  we  are  robbers,  and  come  to 
spy  out  countries  in  order  to  come  later  and  take  them ;  and 
if  it  please  our  Lord,  they  will  turn  out  truthful  in  this,  for 
may  it  please  God  to  give  so  great  a  favour  to  the  King ; 
and  this  I  tell  you,  and  command  you  with  all  the  authority 
which  I  hold/'  To  this  no  one  had  anything  to  answer, 
except  to  hope  that  Grod  would  choose  what  was  best  for  His 
holy  service ;  Paulo  da  Gama  also  promised  his  brother  that 
he  would  do  all  as  he  had  bidden.'  Vasco  da  Gama  made 
his  arrangements  for  going  on  shore,  and  prepared  the  present 
that  he  would  take  and  the  letter  which  he  had  to  give  to 
the  King,  which  both  of  them^  drew  up,  placing  in  it  the 
exordium  of  Portugal,  and  [they  made]  the  King  say  that  it 
had  come  to  his  knowledge  that  the  ruler  of  India  had  power 
over  several  kingdoms,  and  was  the  lord  of  great  riches, 
and  was  powerful  from  his  warlike  people  with  whom  he 
could  conquer  the  world  if  he  chose  :  which  had  caused  him 
a  great  longing  in  his  heart  to  send  in  search  of  him  and 
to  become  acquainted  with  him,  and  establish  with  him  as 
much  friendship  and  peace  as  he  might  be  willing  to  admit, 
and  to  become  friends  like  brothers ;  and  he  wished  to  send 
his  ships  and  merchandise,  of  which  there  was  much  in  his 

'  Barroa  says  they  settled  that  Vasco  da  Gama  should  go  on  shore, 
and  Paulo  da  Gama  and  Nicolas  Coelho  should  remain  on  board. 
'  The  two  brothers. 


FOR    NEGOTIATING    WITH    CALECUT.  173 

kingdom  of  all  sorts  whatever,  which  would  be  brought  to 
the  kingdom  of  Calecut,  and  sold  and  exchanged  for  other 
goods  which  he  was  informed  were  to  be  found  in  his  king- 
dom and  countries,  especially  pepper  and  drugs,  which  did 
not  exist  in  his  own  kingdom.  For  this  he  had  sent  fifty 
ships,  and  in  them  a  captain-major  for  the  sea,  who  would 
not  go  on  shore,  but  only  his  servant,  Vasco  da  Gama,  the 
second  captain-major,  who  was  to  go  on  shore  with  those 
people  whom  he  had  sent ;  and  all  that  he  should  say  to  the 
King  of  Calecut  was  from  his  mouth,  and  his  speech,  and  all 
credit  was  to  be  given  to  it,  because  that  which  he  arranged 
and  agreed  to  with  the  King  of  Calecut,  he  affirmed  it  for 
ever ;  this  his  sons  also,  and  those  who  should  descend  from 
them,  would  likewise  affirm,  and  he  thus  affirmed  it.  And 
they  signed  it  with  the  signature  of  the  King,  and  placed 
upon  the  letter  the  seal  of  his  arms  with  red  wax.  Vasco 
da  Gama  got  ready  twelve  men  of  good  appearance  to  go 
with  him  well  dressed ;  and  the  present  for  the  King,  which 
was  a  piece  of  very  fine  scarlet  cloth  and  a  piece  of  crimson 
velvet,  a  piece  of  yellow  satin,  a  chair  covered  with  brocade  of 
much  nap,  studded  with  silver  gilt  nails;  a  cushion  of  crimson 
satin,  with  tassels  of  gold  thread ;  and  another  cushion  of 
red  satin  for  the  feet ;  a  hand  basin  chased  and  gilt,  with  a 
ewer  of  the  same  kind,  a  very  handsome  thing  ;  and  a  large, 
very  splendid,  gilt  mirror;  fifty  scarlet  caps,  with  buttons 
and  tassels  of  crimson  twisted  silk  and  gold  thread  on  the 
top  of  the  caps  ;  and  fifty  sheaths  of  knives  of  Flanders, 
with  ivory  handles,^  which  were  made  in  Lisbon,  and  the 
sheaths  gilt.  All  these  things  were  wrapped  in  napkins, 
and  all  in  very  good  order.^ 

'  Tachas,  properly  studs,  nails. 

'  Barros  says  that  Vasco  da  Gama  went  on  shore  with  twelve  persons, 
but  that  he  had  not  taken  a  present  with  him,  and  on  the  day  after  his 
audience  of  the  Zamorim,  at  the  advice  of  Monzaide,  he  sent  a  few 
things  to  the  Zamorim,  with  the  excuse  that  when  he  left  Tortugal  he 


/ 


1  74  PREPAKATIOXS    FOR    NEGOTIATION. 

was  not  sure  of  reaching  India  and  seeing  the  King  of  Calecut,  and 
therefore  was  not  as  well  provided  as  he  should  have  been,  and  these 
things  were  some  which  he  had  brought  for  his  own  use,  and  he  sent 
them,  not  for  their  value,  but  as  samples  of  Portuguese  goods :  and 
only  these  had  escaped  from  the  damp  of  the  sea,  as  they  had  been  going 
on  it  so  long.  Barros  says  Gama  brought  two  letters  from  the  King  of 
Portugal  to  the  King  of  Calecut,  one  in  Portuguese,  the  other  written 
in  Arabic.  Castanheda  says,  the  I^ug  finding  Gama  had  brought 
nothing  from  the  King  of  Portugal,  asked  for  the  golden  image  of  St. 
Mary  which  he  had  in  his  ship  ;  Gama  replied  that  the  St.  Mary  was  of 
gilt  wood  and  not  of  gold,  and  even  if  it  was  he  could  not  give  it,  as  it 
preserved  him  at  sea.  Castanheda  says  Gama  gave  two  letters,  one  in 
Portuguese,  the  other  in  Arabic ;  this  latter  was  read  and  explained  to 
the  King  by  a  committee  of  four  Moors,  one  of  whom,  at  Gama's  re- 
quest, was  Monzaide.  Osorio  says  (iama  went  ashore  with  twelve  men, 
and  gave  his  letters  and  presents  to  the  King,  who  seemed  to  despise 
them  ;  Gama  excused  them  on  the  ground  that  D.  Manuel  had  hardly 
expected  that  the  voyage  would  end  so  prospei"ously.  Gama  begged 
the  King  not  to  communicate  the  letters  to  the  Moors,  but  only  to 
Monzaide. 


-y 


NEGOTIATIONS    WITH    CALECUT. 


175 


CHAPTER    XVII.  5(^c£r  cVvcMp^A 

How  Vasco  da  Gama  went  on  shore,  and  had  an  interview  with  the  -t-  ^.a 
King  of  Calecut,  and  spoke  to  him  about  a  covenant  of  peace  and  Tvviao^ 
trade  :  and  of  what  happened. 

The  King,  on  receiving  the  message  of  the  captain-major  to 
the  effect  that  he  could  do  nothing  without  first  estabhshing 
peace,  and  giving  an  explanation  of  this,  and  that  after  peace  ' 
was  established  then  he  would  establish  trade,  spoke  of  this 
matter  to  his  confidantes  and  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  and 
the  Gozilj  for  the  King  said  he  desired  to  know  what  the  Por- 
tuguese King  wanted.  The  overseer  of  the  treasury  and  the 
Gozil,  who  had  already  received  the  presents  of  the  Moors, ' 
said  to  the  King  that  it  was  very  requisite  first  to  learn  the 
truth  about  our  people  whether  they  came  for  a  good  purpose 
or  not ;  and  that  meantime  he  should  send  to  tell  them  to 
send  a  man  from  whom  he  could  get  information  as  to  what 
the  Portuguese  wanted,  and  if  it  was  a  thing  agreeable  to 
his  will,  then  he  would  hear  the  embassage  of  their  King. 
This  advice  seemed  good  to  the  King ;  and  at  the  end  of 
three  days  after  that  he  sent  to  call  the  broker,  who  was 
always  on  shore  with  Joan  Nuz  to  purchase  provisions. 
The  broker  however  also  bought  porcelain,  benzoin,  and  bags 
of  musk,  these  in  small  quantities ;  also  pepper  which  they 
sold  him  by  measure,  and  bimdles  of  cinnamon  and  ginger, 
as  if  for  himself,  and  at  night  they  carried  it  away,  when  they 
went  to  the  ship.  When  these  came  before  the  King  he 
told  them  to  go  to  the  ship  and  take  a  message  to  the  cap- 
tain, and  he  sent  with  them  a  Nair,  a  relation  of  the  Gozilj^ 
and  told  them  to  say  that  a  man  should  be  sent  who  could 
give  explanations  as  to  what  he  might  ask  him,  and  that 
they  should  send  word  through  him  how  they  wished  the 


17G  NEGOTIATIONS   WITH    CALECUT. 

peace  to  be  made.  The  captain-major^  seeing  that  a  boat 
was  coming  with  a  message,  ordered  the  things  of  the  pre- 
sent, which  have  been  already  mentioned,  to  be  put  on 
handkerchiefs,  as  if  they  were  cleaning  and  sunning  them, 
also  many  strings  of  coral  beads,  which  was  their  principal 
I  merchandise.  When  the  Nair  came  on  board,  they  gave 
\  him  a  good  reception,  and  when  he  had  given  the  King's 
J  message  they  at  once  called  Nicolas  Coelho,  who  came  from 
the  other  ship,  and  the  captain-major  sent  him  on  shore  well 
dressed  and  with  twelve  men,  and  told  him  what  the  King 
wished  to  know  from  him^  and  that  when  he  asked  about  the 
peace,  he  was  to  tell  him  that  he,  the  King,  was  to  give  his 
peace  and  security  like  a  King,  such  as  he  was^  to  the  Portu- 
guese that  they  might  go  on  shore  buying  and  selling  mer- 
chandise, and  that  no  one  was  to  do  them  any  harm,  nor  any 
fraud,  neither  in  the  prices  nor  in  the  goods,  and  they  were 
fco  give  them  everything  the  same  as  to  the  other  foreign 
merchants,  and  that  they  should  give  them  boats  to  embark 
every  evening  what  they  bought  in  the  day,  and  that  they 
might  buy  goods  in  what  quantities  they  pleased,  and  that 
they  should  not  pay  more  duties  than  what  were  customary 
in  the  country,  both  with  regard  to  what  they  bought  and 
what  they  sold ;  and  this  trade  of  buying  and  selling  was  to 
last  for  ever  with  such  good  friendship  as  if  he  was  own 
brother  to  the  King  of  Portugal ;  and  of  this  he  was  to  take 
oath,  according  to  his  usage,  and  give  his  signature.  If  he 
was  satisfied  with  this,  and  gave  his  oath  and  signature,  a 
factor  would  then  go  on  shore  immediately  with  the  goods. 
When  all  should  have  been  thus  established,  and  the  buying 
and  selling  commenced,  and  the  captain-major  should  see  that 
this  was  being  done  with  order  and  friendship,  he  would  im- 
mediately, on  hostages  being  sent,  go  on  shore  to  establish 
and  confirm  this  peace  also  with  his  oath  ;  and  would  show 
the  letters  which  he  brought  from  the  King  with  his  present. 
All  this  the  captain-major  gave  in  writing  to  Nicolas  Coelho. 


NEGOTIATIONS    AT    CALECUT.  177 

While  this  was  being  done^  the  Nair  was  looking  at  the 
things  which  were  spread  out,  at  which  he  was  surprised  ; 
and  the  captain-major  gave  him  a  cap  and  a  knife  with  a 
sheath  ;  and,  as  the  cap  had  no  tassel,  he  asked  to  have  one 
of  the  other  caps  and  knives,  but  the  broker  told  him  that 
those  were  to  be  taken  to  the  King.  Then  they  went 
ashore,  and  when  they  landed  many  people  ran  up,  and 
when  they  reached  the  gate  of  the  palace  they  found  many 
seats  like  benches  of  earth,  very  well  arranged,  on  which 
was  seated  the  Gozil  on  a  mat  of  many  patterns ;  he  rose 
and  made  a  salutation  to  Nicolas  Coelho,  and  made  him  sit 
close  to  him ;  there  were  here  two  hundred  men  of  the 
Nairs- who  were  in  the  service  of  the  Gozil.  He  ordered 
the  Nair  who  had  come  with  them  to  go  inside  the  palace  to 
take  information  to  the  King,  and  the  Nair  went  and  re- 
mained so  long  without  returning,  that  it  appears  he  was 
relating  to  the  King  all  that  he  had  seen  in  the  ship.  It  was 
now  very  late,  for  this  happened  after  they  had  already 
dined,  and  the  sun  had  set,  when  a  message  arrived  from 
the  King  that  he  could  not  speak  to  them  as  he  was  engaged, 
and  would  speak  to  them  next  morning.  Nicolas  Coelho 
said  nothing,  and  asked  the  Gozil  to  order  a  boat  to  be  pre- 
pared for  him  and  he  would  return  to  the  ship.  He  answered 
that  the  sea  was  high,  and  for  that  reason  no  one  could  go 
to  the  ships  at  night.  They  remained  there  a  great  part  of 
the  night;  then  the  Gozil  sent  Nicolas  Coelho  to  the  house 
of  a  Gentile,  a  man  of  the  country,  which  was  a  very  good 
house ;  and  he  ordered  them  to  give  him  there  boiled  rice, 
which  they  set  before  him  on  green  fig  leaves,  which  were 
as  broad  as  a  sheet  of  paper ;  and  they  gave  him  fowls,  roast 
and  boiled  after  their  fashion,  and  good  figs.  When  they 
had  done  eating,  they  gave  them  mats  on  which  they  slept 
upon  benches  like  those  that  were  at  the  King's  door.  The 
Castilian,  who  had  seen  everything,  when  it  was  night  kept 
walking  before  the  door  of  the  house,  until  Nicolas  Coelho 


178  NICOLAS  COELHO  GOES  ASHORE, 

came  out  for  a  moment,  when  lie  told  him  to  dissemble, 
because  they  were  exposing  him  to  these  delays  in  order 
that  he  might  get  angry  and  lose  his  temper,  and  he  went 
away  not  to  be  seen  speaking  to  Coelho.  Next  day  Nicolas 
Coelho  took  it  very  easily  and  leisurely  in  the  house  until 
they  came  to  call  him,  when  he  went  to  the  King's  house, 
where  he  was  met  at  the  door  by  the  overseer  of  the 
treasury,  with  many  people,  who  received  him  with  much 
honour,  and  told  him  that  the  King  was  indisposed  and 
could  not  talk  to  him,  and  that  the  King  sent  word  that 
Coelho  was  to  say  to  him  all  that  he  wished.  Nicolas 
Coelho  said  that  he  had  brought  a  message  which  the 
captain-major  had  oi-dered  him  to  repeat  to  the  King,  and 
therefore  he  could  not  speak  it  except  to  him ;  and  if  the 
King  was  indisposed,  he  would  go  back  to  the  ships  and 
would  come  whenever  the  King  pleased.  The  overseer  of 
the  treasury  pressed  him  to  speak  to  him,  but  Nicolas 
Coelho  would  not,  and  asked  him  for  a  boat  to  return  to 
his  ship.  The  overseer  of  the  treasury  sent  word  of  this 
to  the  King,  who  ordered  him  to  be  introduced.  The  over- 
seer of  the  treasury  then  brought  Coelho  to  where  the 
King  was,  in  a  small  house  like  a  chamber  with  little  light. 
The  King  was  seated  on  a  low  bed  covered  with  a  white 
cloth;  near  him  was  one  of  his  Brahmans,  who  are  like 
their  clergy.  Nicolas  Coelho  made  his  most  profound 
salutation  to  the  King,  and  remained  standing  in  silence. 
The  Brahman  asked  the  broker  why  he  did  not  speak ;  and 
the  broker  repeated  this  in  another  language  to  Joan  Nuz, 
who  repeated  it  to  Nicolas  Coelho  :  and  he  replied  that  he 
could  not  speak  without  the  King's  commanding  him  to  do 
so.  Then  the  King  bade  him  speak,  and  he  gave  him  the 
whole  message  which  he  had  brought,  as  the  captain-major 
had  ordered  him.  After  hearing  it,  the  King  told  him  to  go 
outside  and  wait,  and  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  would 
bring  him   the  answer.     Nicolas    Coelho    replied    that   he 


AND  VISITS    THE    KING  OP  CALECDT.  179 

would  not  receive  the  answer  from  any  one  except  from 
himself.  Then  the  King  said  that  he  was  satisfied  with  all 
he  had  asked^  and  he  ordered  the  overseer  of  tlic  treasury 
to  carry  it  all  out^  and  with  that  he  dismissed  him.^  When 
they  had  again  come  outside^  the  overseer  of  the  treasury 
told  him  to  say  what  goods  they  had  brought.  He 
replied  that  they  would  bring  what  they  had  got  on  shore, 
and  if  they  were  not  satisfied  with  them,  they  would  take 
them  back  again,  and  would  buy  with  gold  and  silver,  but 
that  they  would  have  to  settle  the  prices,  and  do  all  this 
after  that  the  King  had  made  everything  secure  as  he  had 
said ;  and  then  they  would  commence  trade  of  buying  and 
selling  as  in  a  country  of  a  friend  and  brother  of  the  King 
of  Portugal,  and  the  captain-major  would  come  on  shore  to 
give  the  embassage  which  he  had  brought  for  the  King.  A 
message  of  this  was  sent  back  to  the  King,  who  sent  his 
signature  on  a  dry  leaf  of  a  palm  tree:  the  King's  Brahman 
brought  it ;  it  was  written  with  letters  made  with  strokes. 
The  Brahman  took  a  thread  which  he  wore  hung  round  his 
shoulders  between  his  thumbs  with  his  hands  joined,  and 
swore  that  the  King  had  signed  that  leaf,  and  in  it  affirmed 
everything  just  as  the  captain-major  had  requested.  Then 
Nicolas  Coelho  spoke  to  the  broker,  who  told  him  to  take 
the  leaf  with  marks  of  satisfaction,  that  he  believed  all  as 
true,  and  afterwards  he  would  see  how  the  business  ad- 
vanced. Then  Nicolas  Coelho,  with  signs  of  pleasure,  took 
the  leaf  and  kissed  it,  and  placed  it  on  his  head,  and  put  it 
in  his  bosom,  and  asked  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  to 
give  him  a  boat  to  take  the  message  to  the  captain-major. 
This  he  gave  him  at  once,  and  on  going  to  the  beach  the 
Castilian  passed  by  the  broker  and  put  into  his  hand  a 
writing  by  which  he  told  the  captain-major  to  make  re- 
joicing over  the  King's  leaf,  and  to  send  on  shore  a  small 
quantity  of  merchandise  for  selling  and  buying  each  day, 
^  The  other  historians  do  not  mention  this  visit  of  Coolho  to  the  King. 


180  NEGOTIATIONS  AT  CALECUT. 

and  that  at  night  they  should  embark  what  they  bought ; 
and  to  send  a  factor  with  the  broker  and  Joan  Nuz,  and 
another  man,  and  that  they  should  be  warned  not  to  try  to 
obtain  more  than  was  offered.  When  Nicolas  Coelho  arrived, 
and  Vasco  da  Gama  saw  the  letter  of  the  Castilian,  and 
Coelho  had  related  to  him  what  had  happened,  what  the 
Castilian  said  seemed  to  him  good  advice,  and  he  ordered 
flags  to  be  hung  out,  and  the  trumpets  to  be  sounded,  and 
salutes  to  be  fired  with  several  charges  in  both  ships ;  at 
which  the  people  were  amazed  seeing  the  ships  fire  so 
many  discharges.  Immediately  after,  the  captain-major, 
running  the  risk  of  the  luck  which  God  might  give,  appointed 
as  factor  one  Diego  Diaz,  a  man  of  the  King's  establish- 
ment, and  as  clerk  Peter  de  Braga,^  and  with  them  Joan 
Nuz,  and  the  broker  and  the  Moorish  pilot  from  Melinde, 
whom  he  invited  to  go  with  them  on  shore.  By  the  advice 
of  the  broker,  in  order  to  settle  the  price,  he  sent  in  a  chest 
one  hundredweight  of  unwrought  branch  coral,  and  as 
much  of  vermilion,  and  a  ban-el  of  quicksilver,  fifty  pigs  of 
copper,  twenty  strings  of  large  cut  coral,  and  as  many  of 
amber,  and  five  Portugueses  of  gold,  fifty  cruzados,  and  a 
hundred  testoons  in  silver ;  also  a  table  with  a  green  cloth, 
and  a  wooden  balance  with  four  weights  of  a  quintal,  and 
one  half  quintal,  and  he  ordered  them  to  accept  as  the 
price  what  was  given  them,  and  to  verify  it  with  the  balance 
and  weights.  All  which  the  clerk  was  to  write  down  in  the 
book  which  he  carried  for  that  purpose,  and  they  were  not 
to  crave  more  than  what  was  given  them ;  and  by  no  means 
to  persist,  nor  to  allow  the  broker  to  show  any  urgency  or 
obstinacy,  as  was  his  custom ;  and  in  everything  they  were 
to  show  that  they  were  pleased,  and  to  act  so  that  they 
should  rather  be  considered  as  simple  men  than  as  wary ; 
and  he  told  the  broker  and  pilot  not  to  be  in  anywise  obsti- 
nate in  buying  and  selling,  as  such  was  their  custom,  and 

'  Barros  mentions  their  appointment,  but  as  having  happened  later, 
he  names  De  Braga,  Alvaro,  instead  of  Peter. 


A  FACTORY  ESTABLISHED  AT  CALECUT,  181 

when  tliey  did  not  find  a  good  market  they  went  to  some 
other  place  where  they  found  it  better.  Having  given  all 
of  them  instructions  as  to  what  they  had  to  do,  he  sent 
them  in  the  boat,  in  which  they  went  to  a  short  distance 
from  the  land,  and  anchored  with  a  grapnel,  because  they 
could  not  reach  the  land,  for  the  waves  broke  very  much, 
and  only  the  Indian  skiffs  were  able  to  take  the  waves, 
which  did  them  no  harm.  As  soon  as  the  boat  anchored, 
there  came  at  once  a  skiff  from  the  shore,  in  which  the 
broker  and  Joan  Nuz  and  the  pilot  placed  themselves,  and 
went  on  shore  to  ask  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  to  give 
them  a  house  on  the  beach  for  the  factor  to  remain  there 
with  the  goods  which  they  were  bringing ;  he  at  once  gave 
orders  to  the  broker  to  take  whichever  house  he  pleased. 
This  he  did,  and  took  a  large  house  in  two  compartments, 
from  which  they  at  once  cleared  out  the  people  who  lived  in 
it.  The  skiff  brought  the  factor  and  clerk  and  all  the  mer- 
chandise, and  the  balance  which  they  suspended,  and  they 
placed  the  table  with  a  bench  which  they  also  brought  from 
the  ship ;  the  merchandise  they  placed  in  the  other  apart- 
ment. Soon  after  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  came  with 
many  Nairs,  whom  he  ordered  to  keep  off  many  people  and 
Moors  whe  were  looking  on.  The  factor  then  showed  all 
that  he  had  got  there  to  the  overseer  of  the  treasury,  who 
asked  him  if  he  had  got  much  goods  of  those  which  he  had 
shown  him.  He  replied  that  he  had  little,  because  much 
others  had  gone  in  the  other  ship,  and  that  he  would  sell  all 
that  he  had  if  he  found  anything  to  buy.  The  overseer 
asked  what  money  he  had  got,  and  the  factor  showed  it 
him.  The  overseer  of  the  treasury  then  sent  for  a  changer, 
who  weighed  it  all,  and  proved  it  with  his  touchstones, 
which  they  carry  for  that  purpose,  and  with  which  they  are 
very  clever ;  and  they  set  a  value  on  each  coin,  which  they 
told  to  the  factor,  and  the  clerk  wrote  it  down,  and  it  was 
higher  than  in  Portugal.     The  factor  said  that  it  was  worth 


182  COMMENCEMENT  OF  PORTUGUESE 

more  in  his  country,  but  that  they  might  make  a  profit  on 
their  purchases.     A  price  was  then  set  upon  each  article  of 
merchandise  separately  by  itself,  upon  which  a  large  profit 
was  made,  both  in  the  value  and  also  in  the  weight,  which 
they  named  farazolas,^  which,  being  verified  by  the  scales, 
gives   twenty   farazolas    and    eighteen   pounds    one   bahar. 
They  also  settled  the  prices  of  pepper  and  all  the  drugs. 
When  they  wanted  to  set  a  price  upon  other  goods,  the 
factor  said  that  he  had  not  got  leave  to  buy  anything  else 
but  drugs.     Then  the  Gozil  asked  what  they  wanted  next, 
for  he  was  also  there,  having  come  later  bringing  with  him 
a  few  Moors  of  his  party  for  them  to  see  what  was  being 
done.      The  overseer  of  the  treasury   then   asked  if  they 
wished  to  begin  weighing  at  once  ;  they  said  yes  :  he  then 
ordered  many  sacks  of  pepper  to  be  brought,  which  were 
weighed  in  their   balance,   which  was  large  and  with  one 
arm  only,  and  each  weighed  five  farazolas.     The  factor  re- 
ceived it  as  it  was  in  the  sacks,  without  deduction  for  the 
sacks,  and  without  speaking  about  the  price,  since  it  was 
very  little.     All  day  they  weighed  pepper,  and  in  the  evening 
they  reckoned  what  it  was  worth,  and  the  factor  told  the 
overseer  of  the  treasury  to  take  payment  in  any  sort  of 
goods  as  he  pleased :  this  he  took  in  cut  coral,  and  copper 
and  quicksilver,  which  was  sufiicient  for  the  goods  which 
had  been  weighed ;  all  which  was  weighed  very  favourably  to 
his  satisfaction  by  the  overseer  of  the  treasury, who  hindered 
him  in  nothing;  so  the  factor  gave  him  more  than  the  weight, 
until    the    balance   touched    the    ground.      Having    ended, 
all  the  goods  were  carried  away  and  embarked  in  Indian 
skifis,  which  put  it  into  the  boats,  both  of  which  took  the 
cargo,  and  the  skiffs  returned  ashore.     Whilst  the  overseer 
of  the  treasury  was  about  to  go  away,  the  factor  gave  him 

1  The  appendix  to  Barbosa  and  Magellan's  book  says:  "  a  farazola  is 
twenty-two  pounds  of  sixteen  ounces  and  six  ounces  and  a  half  more : 
twenty  farazolas  are  one  bahar." 


TRADE  AT  CALECUT.  ]  83 

ten  ells  of  crimsou  satin  and  four  red  caps^  and  six  knives 
with  sheaths,  which  the  overseer  thanked  him  for,  making 
many  offers ;  and  he  asked  the  factor  what  goods  he  wished 
to  put  on  board  next  day :  he  replied  that  he  would  send 
and  ask  the  captain-major.  Then  the  overseer  of  the  trea- 
sury left  him  a  Nair,  who  was  always  to  remain  for  his  pro- 
tection ;  this  the  factor  thanked  hitn  for  very  much,  and 
was  glad  of  it,  because  he  made  the  people  keep  off"  from 
the  door,  who  smothered  them.  The  boats  went  to  the 
ship,  and  with  them  the  clerk  Peter  de  Braga,  who  went  to 
give  an  account  of  what  had  happened,  and  show  the  book 
in  which  he  had  written  the  weights  and  prices  of  every- 
thing and  of  the  money,  at  which  they  experienced  great 
satisfaction  and  gave  great  praise  to  the  Lord.  Next  day 
they  sent  more  copper  in  the  boats,  and  also  a  little  more  or 
less  of  the  other  goods,  as  much  as  was  sufficient  for  weigh- 
ing during  the  day.  Vasco  da  Gama  sent  to  tell  the  factor 
to  ask  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  to  give  them  pepper 
because  it  had  to  go  below  all  the  other  goods ;  and  to  buy 
poles  and  planks  to  make  compartments  for  each  sort  of 
goods  to  go  separate,  which  was  done.  Next  day  the  boats 
went  in  the  morning  to  take  their  posts,  and  the  Indian 
skiffs  came  at  once  and  carried  the  goods  on  shore.  Then 
the  overseer  of  the  treasury  oi'dered  pepper  to  be  carried  to 
the  factory,  and  sent  one  of  his  clerks  to  be  present  at  the 
weighing.  When  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  related  to 
the  King  the  prices  which  he  had  fixed,  and  the  manner  in 
which  things  had  been  weighed,  he  was  much  pleased  at  the 
large  profits  which  were  made,  and  which  doubled  the 
money  of  all  that  was  bought  and  sold ;  and  he  told  the 
overseer  of  the  treasury  to  give  them  also  some  of  all  the 
other  goods,  so  as  to  see  with  which  most  gain  \vas  made. 
During  this  day  also  pepper  was  weighed  as  the  factor  had 
requested,  and  he  paid  the  labourers  what  the  King's  clerk, 
who   was  looking  on   at   the   weighing,   told  him   to  give 


184  TRADING  AT  CALECUT. 

them.     The  pilot  also  purchased  planks  and  rafters,  which 
he  took  to  the  ships  in  Indian  boats,  for  which  a  fixed  price 
had  been   established   for   each  journey  they  made  to  the 
boats  or  to  the  ships.     The  boats  remained  constantly  in 
the  position  they  had  taken,  each  one  with  two  swivel  guns 
and  a  gunner,  and  sailors  with  pikes  under  the  benches, 
and  swords  placed  below  the  thwarts  of  the  boats,  and  they 
carried  with  them  provisions'  to  eat,  and  were  always  ready 
at  hand  to  come  up  if  any  disturbance  occurred :  and  they 
went  on  weighing  until  the  evening,  when  the  overseer  of 
the  treasuiy  came  to  make  the  account  and  receive  the  mer- 
chandise, and  he  took  those  goods  which  the  factor  gave 
him,  because  upon  all  of  them  much  money  was  gained.    At 
night,  when  the  Portuguese  took  the  goods  on  board,  the 
overseer   of  the   treasury  went  to  give  an  account  to  the 
King,  who  ordered  that  ginger  should  be  given  next  day, 
which  was  done,  and  the  ginger  was  brought  to  the  factory; 
it  came  smeared  with  red  clay,  because  it  was  exported  in 
that  manner,  for  with  the  clay  it  travelled  better,  and  with 
more   strength.     But   the   clay   was   so  much  in  excess  of 
what  was  sufficient,  that  the  clay  weighed  much  more  than 
.  the  ginger,  which  was  a  great  robbery  of  the  Portuguese, 
and  the  factor  understood  it,  because  the  broker  pointed  it 
out  to  him  ;  but  he  dissembled  and  told  the  overseer  of  the 
treasury  to   order  more  clay   to   be  put  upon  the  ginger, 
because  it  had  to  go  a  long  way.     Of  this  the  overseer  of 
the  treasury  ordered  so  much  to  be  brought,  that  they  had 
to  spend  three  days  in  weighing  it ;   during  these  they  also 
brought  in   some  pepper,  because   the  factor  said  it   was 
necessary  to   stow   it  below  the  other  merchandise.      The 
Mozambique  pilot  who  was  in  the  ship  arranged  the  com- 
partments with  the  rafters  and  planks,  all  which  were  made 
very  strong  and  pitched  over,  which  was  done  by  the  ship^s 
workmen;  and  they  were  lined  with  matting,  of  which  there 
was   plenty   on   shore,   made   for   this    purpose  of  stowing 


TRADING  AT  CALECUT.  185 

cargo  in  ships.    I  The  pilot  told  the  captain-major  that  each 
kind  of  goods  was  to  go  by  itself  separated  from  the  rest, 
because  that  which  went  mixed  was  spoiled,  the  one  kind 
by  another ;  and  it  was  thus  executed  as  the  pilot  directed. 
When  three  days  had  passed,  during  which  they  weighed 
the    ginger,    the   overseer   of  the   treasury   said  that   they 
should  take  cinnamon ;  the  factor  said  they  would  take  the 
cinnamon  last,  because,  as  it  was  a  bulky  article  of  little 
weight,  it  must  lie  on  the  top  of  the  cargo.     The  overseer 
replied  that  it  was  necessary  they  should  take  a  little  of  it, 
because  they  had  to  clear  out  a  house  in  which  it  was  kept. 
The  factor,  seeing  that  perforce  he  would  have  to  do  as  the 
overseer  chose,  could  not  do  anything  else ;  and  the  cinna- 
mon was  brought  in  packages  of  sticks  and  mats,  and  so  I 
they  weighed  it,   and  it  was  old  cinnamon   and   of  a  bad! 
quality  which  was  unserviceable.     The  factor  acted  as  if  he 
did  not  perceive  it,  and  weighed  it,  and   the   boats   went 
loaded  with  it  three  times,  during  a  day  till  nightfall,  to  the 
ships,  and  all  of  it  was   discharged  into   the   ship   of  the 
captain-major,  which  as  yet  had  got  no  cargo.     The  factor 
wrote  to  the  captain-major  that  he  had  taken  the  cinnamon, 
although  it  was  bad,  because  the  overseer  of  the  treasury 
had  sent  it  for  him  to  take.     The  captain-major  answered 
him,  telling  him  to  take  everything,  even  should  they  be 
worse  goods,  because  they  were  not  able  to^  do  better ;  and 
that  he  was  always  to  ask  for  pepper,  which  was  the  most 
suitable,  because  they  could  not  stow  cargo  without  first 
having  pepper  to  go  below.     The  King  was  so  covetous,  on 
account  of  the  large  gains  he  was  making  upon  the  pur- 
chases and  sales,  that  he  now  no  longer  recollected  anything 
about  the  embassy.     The  Moors  felt  great  vexation  at  see- 
ing the  Portuguese  thus  taking  in  cargo,  and  that  like  stupid 
people  they  accepted  so  unprofitably  whatever  was  given 
them  without  making  any  complaint,  since  these  were  bad 
articles,  which  were  not  worth  the  half  of  what  they  were 


186 


OBSERVATIONS  OF  THE    MOORS 


//: 


AP 


giving  for  ttem,  and  the  mercliandise  which  they  gave  was 
with  excess  of  weight;  and  they  knew  that  the  King  was  so 
covetous  that,  as  long  as  the  Portuguese  wished  to  buy,  the 
King  would  sooner  supply  our  men  than  them ;  on  which 
account,  if  many  ships  came  to  fetch  cargo,  they  would  en- 
tirely lose  their  trade.  So  they  went  to  speak  to  the  Gozil, 
and  made  a  long  exposition  to  him,  saying  that  he  very 
Iwell  saw  that  the  buying  and  selling  of  the  Portuguese  was 
jlike  that  of  stupid  men,  who  gave  for  merchandise  the 
Idouble  of  what  it  was  worth,  and  who  took  rotten  things 
which  were  of  no  use,  and  were  delighted  with  them  as  if 
they  were  good;  all  which  the  King  gave  because  he  gained 
so  much  by  it ;  and  that  it  was  certain  that  always  and 
whenever  the  Christians  should  come  thither,  he  would  be 
I  selling  merchandise  and  supplying  cargo  to  them  sooner 
Ithau  to  the  Moors.  Wherefore,  if  they  could  not  get 
cargoes  as  they  had  done  for  so  many  years,  they  would  be 
entirely  ruined,  and  all  their  remedy  to  prevent  this  coming 
to  pass  lay  in  his  hand,  and  in  that  of  the  overseer  of  the 
treasury,  as  they  could  counsel  the  King  not  to  establish 
peace  nor  trade  with  the  Portuguese  except  after  he  had 
first  had  many  years  experience  of  their  being  sincere 
friends ;  because  it  was  very  clear  that  they  were  not  mer- 
chants, but  spies  who  came  to  see  the  country,  in  order  to 
come  afterwards  with  a  large  fleet  to  take  and  plunder  it  ;^ 

•  This  advice  not  to  make  a  treaty  hurriedly  was  wise ;  if  trade  is 
mutually  advantageous  no  treaty  is  required,  and  both  parties  are 
interested  in  conducting  themselves  well,  which  they  are  not  when  one 
party  is  the  strongest  and  has  bound  the  weaker  by  a  treaty.  As  soon 
as  Vasco  da  Gama  returned  to  Portugal,  a  fleet  of  thirteen  ships  was 
{fitted  out  and  sailed  for  India  in  the  -year  1500  under  Pedralvares 
ICabral.  It  was  not^  however,  a  fleet  of  merchantmen  laden  with  goods 
to  exchange  for  the  produce  of  India — it  carried  twelve  hundred  men 
and  several  priests, and  the  principal  article,  saysBarros,  in  the  instructions 
given  to  Pedralvares,  was:  "Before  he  attacked  the  Moors  and  idolaters  of 
those  parts  with  the  material  and  secular  sword,  he  was  to  allow  the 
priests  and  monks  to  us?  their  sj^iritual  sword,  which  was  to  declare  to 


ON  THE  MANNER  OF  THE  POKTUGUESE  TRADE.      187 

because,,  if  tliey  were  really  merchants^  they  would  not  buy 
in  that  manner^  nor  unprofitably  give  such  high  prices  for 
that  which  was  worth  nothing :  and  withal  the  King  was  so 
covetous,  that  he  neither  saw  nor  understood  how  much 
this  was  of  importance  to  his  kingdom  and  his  vassals,  and 
he  had  established  peace  and  trade,  in  order  to  see  the  em- 
bassage, and  learn  of  what  nature  it  was,  all  which  had  been 
entirely  forgotten.  And  since  they  would  give  the  Gozil 
and  the  overseer  as  much  as  they  pleased,  they  should  find 
the  means  of  counselling  the  King  to  send  for  the  embassy 
to  come  on  shore,  and  to  do  his  business  as  so  great  a  King 
should  do.  If  the  ambassador  came,  by  showing  him  great 
state,  he  would  esteem  the  King  much  more  highly,  because 
the  Grand  Turk,  whenever  he  received  an  embassy  from 
any  King-,  however  great  he  might  be,  the  ambassador,before 
he  saw  him,  waited  at  his  doors  for  many  days,  for  all  con- 
sisted in  points  of  honour  and  state  and  ceremony  which 
great  kings  have  to  uphold ;  and  after  that  the  embassage 
has  been  heard,  many  days  pass  before  the  reply  is  de- 
spatched.     Therefore,    since    the   Gozil  had  already   given 

them  the  Gospel,  Avith  admonitions  and  requisitions  on  the  jiart  of  the 
Roman  Church,  asking  them  to  abandon  their  idolatries,  diabolical 
rites  and  customs,  and  to  convert  themselves  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  for 
all  men  to  be  united  and  joined  in  charity  of  religion  and  love,  since  we 
were  all  the  work  of  one  Creator,  and  redeemed  by  one  Redeemer,  who 
was  Christ  Jesus,  promised  by  prophets,  and  hoped  for  by  jDatriarchs 
for  so  many  thousand  years  before  he  came.  For  which  purpose  they 
brought  them  all  the  natural  and  legal  arguments  which  the  Canon 
Right  disposes  of.  And  should  they  be  so  contumacious  as  not  to 
accept  this  law  of  faith,  and  should  reject  the  law  of  peace,  which 
ought  to  be  maintained  amongst  men,  for  the  conservation  of  the 
human  kind,  and  should  they  forbid  commerce  and  exchange,  which  are 
the  means  by  which  peace  and  love  amongst  all  men  is  conciliated  and 
obtained  (since  this  commerce  is  the  foundation  of  all  human  polity,  if 
the  contracting  parties  agreed  in  religion  and  belief  in  the  truth,  which 
each  one  is  obliged  to  hold  and  believe  of  God),  in  that  case  they  should 
put  them  to  fire  and  sword,  and  carry  on  fierce  war  against  them.  And 
of  all  these  things  he  carried  coi^ious  regulations."    Decadj  i,  lib.  v,  cap.  i. 


188  NEGOTIATIONS  AT  CALECUT. 

them  his  word,  let  him  take  some  action  in  the  matter  so  as 
to  prevent  the  cargo  being  proceeded  with,  and  then  they 
would  at  once  see  the  arrogance  of  the  Portuguese,  and 
that  which  they  concealed  under  the  cloak  of  merchants. 
The  Gozil  offered  to  do  it,  for  he  felt  envy  on  account  of 
what  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  had  got  from  our  men, 
and  he  went  to  the  King  and  spoke  to  him  in  the  manner 
in  which  the  Moors  had  spoken  to  him ;  upon  which  the 
King  sent  to  call  the  overseer  of  the  treasury,  and  talked 
over  with  him  what  the  Gozil  had  been  saying.  The  over- 
seer said  that  the  Portuguese  put  all  on  board,  and  paid  as 
jmuch  as  was  asked,  without  rejecting  or  refusing  anything; 
at  which  the  Gozil  said,  that  on  that  account  he  had  great 
suspicions  that  the  Portuguese  were  not  merchants ;  that  if 

j  they  were  so,  they  would  not  take  poor  and  despicable 
merchandise,  giving  for  it  double  what  it  was  worth,  but 
that  he  understood  truly  that  they  were  evil  men  of  war, 
and  thus  in  the  guise  of  merchants  they  entered  into  coun- 
tries to  spy  and  search  in  order  afterwards  to  come  and  rob, 
and  therefore  they  ought  not  to  give  them  cargo,  but  rather 
to  kill  them  all  and  burn  the  ships,  so  that  they   should 

,  never  return  there  again.  The  King  said,  since  that  was 
their  opinion,  he  would  send  for  the  ambassador  to  come, 
who  would  bring  him  the  present,  and  afterwards  they 
would  do  whatever  would  be  for  the  best,  and  that  they 
should  still  go  on  selling  goods  to  them,  because  if  they 
did  not  supply  them,  the  Portuguese  would  at  once  be  filled 
with  suspicions  of  evil,  on  account  of  which  the  ambassador 
would  not  come  on  shore  :  this  seemed  to  them  good.  The 
King  then  arranged  with  the  Gozil  the  coming  and  reception 
of  the  ambassador,  and  that  after  he  had  come  on  shore,  he 
would  go  thence  outside  to  Panane,  where  he  used  to  re- 
side frequently,  and  he  would  order  the  ambassador  to  come 
thither,  and  if  he  did  not  go,  he  would  order  him  to  be 
brought  by  force,  and  he  would  order  him  to  be  seized  if  he 


NEGOTIATIONS  AT  CALECUT.  189 

broke  out  into  any  violence ;  and  they  settled  that  that 
would  be  a  good  course.  Immediately  next  day  the  Gozil 
sent  one  of  the  King's  Nairs  with  a  message  to  the  captain- 
major,  that  the  King  said  that  since  peace  had  been  esta- 
blished as  he  desired,  and  he  was  loading  his  ships,  he 
would  be  pleased  if  he  came  to  deliver  the  embassage  which 
he  had  brought  for  him.  The  Castilian,  who  took  good 
care,  as  it  pleased  the  Lord,  on  learning  these  things,  came 
at  night  in  the  gajb  of  a  beggar,  and  going  along  begging 
alms,  reached  the  door  of  the  factory  and  begged  alms  in 
Castilian,  and  the  factor  recognised  him,  because  the  Cas- 
tilian told  him  by  a  sign,  and  he  brought  him  inside,  when 
he  told  the  factor  that  the  captain-major  was  not  to  come 
ashore  without  good  hostages,  and  that  he  would  give  him 
a  sign  of  what  would  be  a  good  one :  then  he  went  out 
again,  begging  in  the  same  way.  This  the  factor  wrote  to 
the  captain-major,  who  on  hearing  the  message  of  the  Nair, 
told  him  that  he  was  ready  to  go  at  once,  and  he  asked  him 
as  a  favour  at  once  to  send  a  hostage  to  the  ship  as  was 
the  custom  for  ambassadors,  because  he  was  ready  to  go 
itnmediately.  When  the  King  heard  this,  with  the  longing 
that  he  had  for  the  present,  he  told  the  Gozil  to  send  a 
couple  of  Nairs,  of  the  most  honourable  that  he  had,  and 
with  them  his  nephew.  The  Gozil  did  not  like  this,  as  he 
did  not  know  what  would  turn  out.  The  King  told  him  to 
send  them,  because  after  the  ambassador  had  come  on 
shore  he  would  send  for  them  to  come,  and  of  this  he  gave 
him  his  promise.  Then  the  three  Nairs,  with  very  good 
cloths,  and  gold  bracelets  on  the  shield-arms  above  their  r 
elbows,  and  gold  earrings  in  their  ears,  and  their  swords 
and  splendid  shields,  which  it  is  their  custom  always  to 
carry  as  long  as  they  live,  by  day  and  night,  were  delivered 
over  by  the  Gozil  to  the  factor,  for  him  to  convey  them  to 
the  ship;  he  excused  himself  from  doing  so,  saying  he 
could  not  because  he  was  weighing,  but  that  the  interpreter 


190  VASCO  DA  GAMA  GOES  ON  SHORE 

Joan  Nuz  would  go  to  the  King  for  him  to  deliver  thera  up, 
because  they  had  to  be  received  from  the  King's  hand,  and 
then  he  would  conduct  them  to  the  ship.  This  the  Gozil 
did,  and  went  with  the  interpreter  to  the  King,  and  deli- 
vered to  him  the  hostages.  Meanwhile,  the  Castilian  found 
time  to  tell  the  factor  which  of  the  three  Nairs  was  the 
Gozil's  nephew,  who  was  sufficient.  They  went  immediately 
in  an  Indian  boat  to  the  ship,  and  the  captain-major  re- 
ceived them  with  much  honour ;  and  seeing  three  hostages, 
on  account  of  the  notice  which  he  had  ali'eady  received 
from  the  factor,  he  said  through  the  interpreter  that  one 
hostage  was  sufficient  for  so  great  a  king  as  was  the  King 
of  Calecut,  even  though  he  were  only  one  youth  belonging 
to  his  household.  They  then  got  ready  at  once,  and  the 
captain-major  ordered  all  the  articles  which  I  have  before 
mentioned  to  be  wrapped  up  in  handkerchiefs  and  napkins, 
and  the  Nairs  were  delighted  to  see  them  :  and  he  ordered 
the  trumpeters  to  be  dressed  in  white  and  red  liveries  which 
he  had  had  made ;  and  on  the  trumpets  were  set  streamers 
of  white  and  red  taffiity,  with  a  gilt  sphere  upon  them,  and 
their  slings,  and  the  trumpets  were  cleaned  and  burnished 
so  that  they  shone  like  gold.  \  He  took  to  accompany  him 
twelve  men  well  clothed,  and  some  of  his  household,  and 
there  went  Alvaro  de  Braga,  Joan  de  Setubal,  and  Joan 
Pallia,  all  smart  men.  The  clothes  of  the  captain-major  and 
the  articles  of  silver  were  put  in  a  chest,  and  all  embarked 
in  the  boat,  and  he  took  one  of  the  Nairs,  and  left  the  other 
with  the  Gozil's  nephew,  well  lodged  in  an  apartment  of 
his  cabin,  to  whom  Paulo  da  Gama  gave  a  good  welcome. 
Next  day  Vasco  da  Gama  went  in  the  boats,  which  also 
carried  goods  for  the  factory,  where  the  Gozil,  with  many 
people,  was  on  the  beach  waiting  for  him  ;  and  he  first  sent 
the  Nair  to  go  and  tell  the  King  that  he  was  there,  and 
with  him  he  sent  an  interpreter.  This  the  captain-major 
did  on  account  of  a  warning  from  the  Castilian,  who  sent 


TO  VISIT  THE    KING  OP  CALECUT.  191 

him  word  that  the  King  was  about  to  go  five  leagues  out- 
side the  city,  in  order  to  bid  him  go  thither,  and  that  this 
was  at  the  advice  of  the  Moors.  The  Nair  and  interpreter, 
on  reaching  land  and  mentioning  the  message  with  which 
they  were  going  to  the  King,  were  sent  back  again  by  the 
Gozil  to  the  captain-major  to  tell  him  to  disembark  and  that 
they  would  go  to  the  King's  houses,  and  that  he  had  had  to 
go  outside  the  city  in  a  hurry  and  would  return  in  the  even- 
ing, and  had  given  orders  for  them  to  wait  there  till  he 
came.  Yasco  da  Gama  sent  the  Nair  on  shore  to  wait  until 
he  saw  the  King  and  tell  him  that  he  was  coming  at  his 
summons,  and  that  as  he  did  not  find  him,  on  that  account 
he  was  returning  to  the  ship  until  the  King  came  :  and  if 
he  sent  for  him  to  come,  he  would  come  at  once.  At  this 
the  Gozil  felt  melancholy ;  and  said  to  the  factor  that  the 
captain-major  did  wrong  not  to  come  out  and  wait  for  the 
King  as  he  had  bidden.  The  factor  told  him  that  the 
captain-major  was  doing  what  he  was  ordered  by  his  in- 
structions, and  that  he  was  not  to  give  his  embassage  by 
night  but  by  day,  when  the  King  was  in  his  palace  with  all 
liis  nobles.  Then  he  sent  word  to  the  captain-major  to  send 
the  hostages  on  shore  that  they  might  go  and  eat.  The 
captain-major  answered  that  he  had  not  got  to  send  them, 
that  he  had  no  authority  over  them,  and  that  they  could 
very  well  go  away  if  they  pleased,  as  he  was  not  going  to 
keep  them  byibree.  Then  Yasco  da  Gama  spoke  to  the 
hostages,  and  told  them  that  he  had  been  going  on  shore  to 
speak  to  the  King,  and  that  he  had  not  found  him,  since 
the  Gozil  had  sent  to  say  that  the  King  had  gone  outside 
to  some  other  part,  and  that  he  had  sent  him  word  to  send 
them  on  shore,  which  he  could  not  order  them  to  do,  be- 
cause the  King  had  ordered  them  to  remain  there  in  the 
ship  until  he  had  spoken  to  him  ;  therefore,  if  they  wished 
to  go,  they  might  go  and  welcome,  as  he  did  not  keep  them 
by  force.     The  Nairs  said  that  they  would  not  go  except 


192  gama's  presents  to  the  king  of  calecut. 

with  the  King's  orders,  and  they  sent  to  say  this  to  the 
Gozil ;  on  account  of  which  they  brought  them  their  food 
and  water,  which  they  drank.  The  Gozil  sent  a  message  to 
the  King  of  what  the  captain-major  had  done. 

The  King  was  angry  because  he  was  inclined  to  go  out 
of  the  city,  and  he  came  back  at  once  next  day,  and  sent  to 
tell  the  captain-major  that  he  was  in  his  palace  waiting  for 
him.  Upon  this  the  captain-major  went  at  once  in  the  boat, 
and  the  Moorish  broker  took  him  on  shore  with  all  the 
packages  in  large  Indian  boats,  and  he  went  into  the  fac- 

\  tory,  where  he  dressed  himself  in  a  long  cloak  coming  down 
to  his  feet,  of  tawny  coloured  satin,  lined  with  smooth  bro- 

[  cade,  and  underneath  a  short  tunic  of  blue  satin,  and  white 
buskins,  and  on  his  head  a  cap  with  lappets  of  blue  velvet, 
with  a  white  feather  fastened  under  a  splendid  medal ;  and 
a  valuable  enamel  collar  on  his  shoulders,  and  a  rich  sash 
with  a  handsome  dagger.  He  had  a  page  dressed  in  red 
satin,  and  in  front  of  him  went  the  men  in  file  one  before 
another.  First  after  these  went  the  basin,  carried  wrapped 
in  a  napkin  by  a  man  who  held  it  against  his  breast,  and  in 
front  another  with  the  ewer ;  then  a  tray  with  the  knives 
and  caps,  and  then  the  open  mirror  which  had  doors,  and 
was  all  splendidly  gilt ;  next  the  pieces  of  silk,  and  in  front 
of  all  the  chair  carried  upon  the  head  of  the  broker  :  and 
there  was  in  front  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth  opened  so  as  to 
show  it.  Before  these  went  the  trumpets  sounding,  and 
the  factor  went  with  a  cane  in  his  hand,  and  his  cap  off,  as 
he  conducted  all  the  bearers  of  the  present.  The  King  was 
in  a  balcony  and  saw  everything  in  the  order  in  which  it 
came,  with  great  pleasure  at  seeing  such  rich  things.  The 
factor  entered  in  front  and  presented  each  thing  to  the 
King,  and  he  placed  a  cushion  upon  the  chair,  and  another 
at  its  foot  [and  said],  that  the  ambassador  asked  him  as  a 
favour  to  sit  on  the  chair  for  him  to  give  him  his  embassage 
seated  on  that  chair,  and  the  King,  with  the  great  satisfaction 


GAMA    GOES    TO    AN    AUDIENCE    OF    THE    ZAMORIM.  193 

which  he  experienced,  sat  upon  it.  Before  arriving  at  the 
palace  there  was  a  long  street  through  which  the  captain- 
major  went ;  but  the  crowd  was  so  great  that  our  men  could 
not  advance,  even  though  there  were  many  Nairs  making 
the  people  keep  off,  and  in  that  crowd  there  were  a  great 
number^pL  Moors  also  with  swords  and  shields,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  Nairs.  i  The  captain-major  went  very  leisurely 
and  without  fatiguing  himself,  and  remained  still  until  they 
had  made  the  people  stand  off.  Before  reaching  the  palace, 
by  the  King's  orders,  the  catual  of  the  King's  house  came 
to  receive  the  captain-major ;  he  is  the  chief  officer  of  the 
guard  of  the  King's  palace,  and  if  any  one  enters  where  the 
King  dwells  without  his  leave,  immediately  he  will  order  his 
head  to  be  cut  off  at  the  door  of  the  palace  without  asking 
the  king's  pleasure  about  it.  With  this  Catual  the  Portu- 
guese proceeded  with  less  encumbrance,  because  he  ordered 
the  people  to  keep  off,  and  they  were  much  afraid  of  him. 
Each  time  the  factor  presented  any  piece  of  goods,  the  King 
looked  at  it  for  some  time,  and  this  caused  much  detention. 
When  the  captain-major  arrived,  he  was  conducted  through 
many  courts  and  verandahs  to  a  dwelling  opposite  to  that 
in  which  the  King  was,  beyond,  in  another  room  arranged 
with  silk  stuffs  of  various  colours,  and  a  white  canopy,  which 
was  of  subtle  workmanship  and  covered  the  whole  room. 
The  King  was  sitting  in  his  chair,  which  the  factor  had  got 
him  to  sit  upon ;  he  was  a  very  dark  man,  half  naked,  and 
clothed  with  white  cloths  from  the  middle  to  the  knees :  one 
of  these  cloths  ended  in  a  long  point  on  which  were  threaded 
several  gold  rings  with  large  rubies,  which  made  a  great 
show.  He  had  on  his  left  arm  a  bracelet  above  the  elbow, 
which  seemed  like  three  rings  together,  the  middle  one 
larger  than  the  others,  all  studded  with  rich  jewels,  par- 
ticularly the  middle  one  which  bore  large  stones  which  could 
not  fail  to  be  of  very  great  value ;  from  this  middle  ring 
hung  a  pendent  stone  which  glittered  :  it  was  a  diamond  of 


19-i  DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    KING    OF    CALECUT, 

the  thickness  of  a  thumb ;  it  seemed  a  priceless  thing. 
Round  his  neck  was  a  string  of  pearls  about  the  size  of  hazel 
nutSj  the  string  took  two  turns  and  reached  to  his  middle ; 
above  it  he  wore  a  thin  round  gold  chain  which  bore  a  jewel 
of  the  form  of  a  heart,  surrounded  with  larger  pearls,  and  all 
full  of  rubies  :  in  the  middle  was  a  green  stone  of  the  size  of 
a  large  bean,  which,  from  its  showiness  was  of  great  price, 
which  was  called  an  emerald  ;  and,  according  to  the  informa- 
tion which  the  Castilian  afterwards  gave  the  captain-major 
of  this  jewel,  and  of  that  which  was  in  the  bracelet  on  his 
arm,  and  of  another  pearl  which  the  King  wore  suspended 
in  his  hair,  they  were  all  three  belonging  to  the  ancient 
treasury  of  the  Kings  of  Calecut.  The  King  had  long  dark 
hair,  all  gathered  up  and  tied  on  the  top  of  his  head  with  a 
knot  made  in  it ;  and  round  the  knot  he  had  a  string  of 
pearls  like  those  round  his  neck,  and  at  the  end  of  the  string 
a  pendent  pearl  pear-shaped  and  larger  than  the  rest,  which 
seemed  a  thing  of  great  value.  His  ears  were  pierced  with 
large  holes,  with  many  gold  ear-rings  of  round  beads.  Close 
to  the  King  stood  a  boy,  his  page,  with  a  silk  cloth  round 
him  ;  he  held  a  red  shield  with  a  border  of  gold  and  jewels, 
and  a  boss  in  the  centre  of  a  span's  breadth  of  the  samo 
materials,  and  the  rings  inside  for  the  arm  were  of  gold  ; 
also  a  short  drawn  sword  of  an  ell's  length,  round  at  the 
point,  with  a  hilt  of  gold  and  jewellery  with  pendent  pearls. 
On  the  other  side  stood  another  page,  who  held  a  gold  cup 
with  a  wide  rim,  into  which  the  King  spat ;  and  at  the  side 
of  his  chair  was  his  chief  Brahman,  who  gave  him  from  time 
to  time  a  green  leaf  closely  folded  with  other  things  inside 
it,  which  the  King*  ate  and  spat  into  the  cup.  That  leaf  is 
of  the  size  of  an  orange  leaf,  and  the  King  was  always  eating 
it ;  and  after  much  mastication  he  spat  it  into  the  cup,  and 
takes  a  fresh  one,  because  ho  only  tastes  the  juice  of  this 
leaf  and  the  mixture  that  goes  with  it  of  quick-lime  and 
other  things,  which  they  call  areca,  cut  up  small ;  it  is  of  the 


gama's  address  to  the  kino  of  calecut.  195 

size  of  a  chestnut.  Thus  chewed  all  together,  it  makes  the 
mouth  and  teeth  very  red,  because  they  use  it  all  day 
wherever  they  may  be  going,  and  it  makes  the  breath  very 
pleasant.  The  factor  having  finished  presenting  all  the 
things  to  the  King,  which  he  was  looking  at  very  leisurely, 
the  ambassador  arrived  and  made  profound  salutations  to  the 
King ;  and  the  King,  bowing  his  head  and  his  body  a  little, 
extended  his  right  hand  and  arm,  and  with  the  points  of  his 
fingers  he  touched  the  right  hand  of  the  captain-major,  and 
bade  him  sit  upon  the  dais  upon  which  he  was  ;  but  he  did 
not  sit  down,  and  spoke  to  him  through  the  language  which 
Joan  Nuz  spoke  to  the  broker,  and  the  broker  spoke  to  the 
Brahman,  who  was  by  the  King ;  there  were  also  there  the 
overseer  of  the  treasury  and  the  Gozil,  and  Vasco  da  Gama 
said  to  the  King,  "  Sire,  you  are  powerful  and  very  great 
above  all  the  kings  and  rulors  of  India,  and  all  of  them  are 
under  your  feet.  The  great  King  of  Portugal  my  sovereign 
having  heard  of  your  grandeur,  and  it  is  spoken  of  through- 
out the  world,  had  a  great  longing  to  become  acquainted 
with  you  and  to  contract  friendship  with  you  as  with  a 
brother  of  his  own,  and  with  full  and  sincere  peace  and 
amity  to  send  his  ships  with  much  merchandise,  to  trade 
and  buy  your  merchandise,  and  above  all  pepper  and 
drugs,  of  which  there  are  none  in  Portugal ;  and  with 
this  desire  he  sent  fifty  ships  with  his  captain-major; 
and  he  sent  me  to  go  on  shore  with  his  present  and 
message  of  love  and  friendship,  which  I  have  presented  to 
you,  because  I  have  been  separated  from  the  rest  of  my 
company  by  storms.  God  has  been  pleased  to  bring  me 
here  where  I  now  am,  and,  therefore,  I  truly  believe  that 
you  are  the  king  and  ruler  whom  we  came  in  search  of, 
since  here  we  find  the  pepper  and  drugs  which  our  King 
commanded  us  to  seek,  and  which  you.  Sire,  have  been 
pleased  to  give  us;  and  I  have  great  hopes  in  God  that 
before  we  depart  hence  another  fleet  will  arrive  here,  or 
some  others,  for  without  doubt,  Sire,  we  came   to  seek  for 


1.90  gama's  audience  of  the  king  of  calecut. 

jou;  and  I  tell  you,  Sire,  that  so  powerful  is  the  King  of 
Portugal  my  sovereign  that  after  I  shall  have  returned  to 
him  with  your  reply,  and  with  this  cargo  which  you  are 
giving  me,  he  will  send  hither  so  many  fleets  and  mer- 
chandise, that  they  will  carry  away  as  many  goods  as  are  to 
be  had  in  this  city.  To  certify  the  truth  of  what  I  say,  here 
is  the  letter  of  the  King  my  sovereign  signed  with  his 
hand  and  seal,  and  in  it  you  will  see  his  good  and  true  words 
which  he  says  to  you."  Vasco  da  Gama  then  kissed  the 
letter  and  placed  it  upon  his  eyes,  and  upon  his  head,  and 
gave  it  to  the  King  with  his  knee  on  the  groutid ;  the  King 
took  it  and  placed  it  on  his  breast  with  both  hands,  showing 
marks  of  friendship,  and  opened  it  and  looked  at  it,  then 
gave  it  to  the  overseer  of  the  treasury,  telling  him  to  get  it 
translated.  The  King  then  said  to  Vasco  da  Gama  that  he 
should  go  and  rest,  and  that  he  would  see  the  letter  and 
answer  it;  and  that  he  should  ask  the  overseer  of  the  treasury 
for  whatever  merchandise  he  wished  to  put  on  board,  and  he 
would  give  it  him ;  also  whatever  he  required  for  the  ships ; 
and  that  he  should  send  all  his  people  to  the  city  to  amuse 
themselves,  and  to  buy  whatever  they  liked,  for  no  one  would 
do  them  any  harm.  He  told  the  Gozil  to  announce  this  by 
the  crier,  and  with  that  he  dismissed  Vasco  da  Gama,  saying 
that  another  day  he  would  speak  more  at  leisure,  as  it  was 
now  late.  So  Vasco  da  Gama  went  out  with  the  overseer  of 
the  treasury,  and  the  Gozil,  and  the  Catual  of  the  King's 
door,  who  brought  him  to  the  factory,  with  his  trumpets 
blowing  before  him,  and  there  they  took  leave  of  him  with 
salutations.  The  captain-major  slept  at  the  factory,  after 
his  great  satisfaction,  and  the  next  day  he  sent  the  trumpeters 
to  the  ship  with  a  letter  in  which  he  wrote  all  that  had  taken 
place  with  the  King. 

The  overseer  of  the  treasury  came  next  day  to  the  captain- 
major  and  brought  him  twenty  pieces  of  white  stuff,  very 
fine  with  gold   embroider}^,   which  they  called  beyramies. 


THE    king's    presents    TO    VASCO    DA    QAMA.  197 

and  other  twenty  large  white  stuffs^  very  fine,  which  were 
named  sinabafos,  and  ten  pieces  of  coloured  silk,  and  four 
large  loaves  of  benzoin,  as  much  as  a  man  could  carry,  and 
in  a  porcelain  jar  fifty  bags  of  musk  :  six  basins  of  poi'celain 
of  the  size  of  large  soup  basins,  and  six  porcelain  jars,  each  of 
which  would  hold  ten  canadas^  of  water.     He  said  that  the 
King  sent  him  these  things  for  himself,  and  that  when  he 
went  away,  then  he  would  give  him  what  he  was  to  take  to 
the    King.      For   which    the    captain-major    sent    his    best 
thanks ;  and  he  sent  all  these  things  and  his  clothes  to  the 
ship,  and  ordered  them  to  bring  on  shore  a  piece  of  crimson 
satin  and  ten  strings  of  large  coral,  and  twenty  red  caps 
and  many  knives,  and  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  a  case  of 
branch  coral  of  the  best  that  there  was.     The  Gozil  ordered 
the  proclamation   to  be   made  which   the   King  had  com- 
manded,   and    as    the    factory    house    was    small,    and    the 
captain-major  had  ordered  the  scales  to  be  mounted  outside 
the  door,  he  ordered  a  large  shed  to  be  made  with  boughs, 
and  had  it  swept  and  watered,  and  he  had  benches  set  all 
round,  upon  which  many  merchants  and  Moors  used  to  sit 
looking  at  what  was  going  on.     They  were  always  weighing 
goods,  and  at  night  they  paid,  and  before  daylight  put  the 
goods  on  board,  as  the  sea  was  sometimes  favourable  for 
that,  but  the  best  time  was  in  the   evening.     Then  the 
captain-major  made  presents,  which  he  sent  by  the  broker 
to  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  and  the  Gozil  and  Catual, 
to  each  ten  ells  of  satin,  six  caps,  ten  knives  in  sheaths, 
three  strings  of  coral,  and  half  a  quintal  of  branch  coral ; 
with   which   they    were    much    delighted,    and    sent    great 
thanks :  but  the  Gozil  was  angry  because  he  knew  that  the 
captain-major  had  given  more  to  the  overseer  of  the  trea- 
sury than  to  him.     The  Moors  seeing  this  good  state  of 
affairs    for    the    Portuguese,   and   the   great   evil   that   was 
beginning  for  them  if  they  did  not  interrupt  it,  and  that  if  the 
^   A  Canada  is  a  ineasme  oqual  to  three  pints. 


J 

,    198         DELIBEEATIONS    OF    THE    MOORS    AND    THE    CATUAL. 

1  Portuguese  trade  and  friendship  remained  thus  established, 
I  they  would  be  ruined  for  ever,  they  held  their  councils 
I  and  spoke  to  the  Gozil  and  the  Catual  of  the  King's  gate, 
and  gave  them  much  money  to  act  so  that  this  should  not 
be  established,  for  which  purpose  they  might  find  means  to 
excite  some  quarrel  so  that  the  Portuguese  should  do  some 
harm  and  that  they  might  kill  some  of  them,  after  which 
the  Portuguese  also  would  wound  and  kill,  and  the  King 
would  be  indignant  against  them,  and  order  them  all  to  be 
killed,  and  would  take  all  that  was  in  the  factory.  The 
(Jozil,  and  especially  the  Catual,  because  he  was  in  poorer 
circumstances  and  coveted  much  what  the  Moors  gave  and 
promised,  bound  themselves  to  do  what  they  should  see, 
but  that  as  to  quarrels  and  killing  the  Portuguese,  they 
were  afraid  that  the  King  would  act  with  great  severity  in 
that  case,  because  he  was  so  taken  with  the  Portuguese,  as 
they  saw.  He  therefore  at  once  set  on  foot  his  evil  design, 
and  went  to  tell  the  captain-major  that  the  King  wished  to 
speak  to  him  next  day,  because  afterwards  he  had  to  go  to 
a  city  which  was  two  leagues  off  where  he  had  his  principal 
residence,  for  this  was  only  the  commencement  of  the  city, 
and  he  only  came  thither  to  see  the  ships ;  and  this  was  the 
truth,  because  from  there  to  the  principal  residence  of  the 
King,  which  was  in  the  middle  of  the  city,  there  were  two 
good  leagues.  The  captain-major,  on  hearing  this  message, 
and  believing  that  it  was  from  the  King,  said  that  he  would 
do  what  he  ordered.  But  the  King  had  not  given  such 
orders  ;  but  when  he  sent  those  presents  to  the  captain- 
major,  he  went  to  his  residence  in  the  city,  as  he  had  left 
everything  well  disposed  of.  The  Catual  took  great  precau- 
tions at  the  doors,  in  such  a  manner  that  no  one  could  go 
in  to  the  King  without  his  first  knowing  of  it,  and  going  and 
telling  the  King,  for  this  was  his  duty  of  chief  guard ;  and 
neither  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  nor  the  prince  went  in  to 
the  King  without  leave  from  the  Catual ;  and  this  was  so 


PHOCEEDINGS  OP  THE  CATUAL.  199 

according  tc  their  ancient  usages.  The  Moors,  seeing  that 
the  Catual  }iad  power  to  do  everything,  since  he  had  the 
King  so  kept  under  his  hand,  that  even  if  the  Portuguese 
wished  to  complain  to  him  of  any  injury  that  might  be  done 
them,  they  could  not  do  so,  bribed  the  Catual  so  much  that 
he  took  measures  for  doing  his  work.  Two  days  having 
passed,  he  came  to  the  factory  in  a  litter,  which  men  carried 
on  their  shoulders.  These  are  made  with  thick  canes  bent 
upwards  and  arched,  and  from  them  are  suspended  some 
cloths  half  a  fathom  in  width,  and  a  fathom  and  a  half  in 
length ;  and  at  the  extremities,  pieces  of  wood  to  sustain 
the  cloth  hanging  from  the  pole  ;  and  upon  this  cloth  a  mat- 
tress of  the  same  size  as  the  cloth.  All  this  made  of  silk 
stuffs  and  gold  thread,  with  much  embroidery  and  fringes, 
and  tassels,  and  the  ends  of  the  pole  mounted  with  silver ; 
the  whole  very  splendid,  and  as  rich  as  the  gentlemen  who 
go  in  them,  who  go  sitting  upon  this  mattress ;  or,  if  they 
please,  lying  down  on  silken  cushions ;  and  as  many  dainty 
luxuries  as  they  may  desire.  The  Catual  came  in  one  of 
these  litters,  and  brought  another  like  his  own,  saying  that 
the  King  had  sent  it  for  Vasco  da  Gama  to  go  in,  since  the 
distance  was  a  long  one,  and  it  would  weary  him,  for  the 
King  was  in  the  city.  The  overseer  of  the  treasury  was  in 
the  factory  talking  to  the  captain-major  about  the  goods. 
During  these  days  much  pepper  was  being  given  to  him, 
and  great  preparations  were  making  for  embarking  cargo; 
for  they  had  already  got  many  drugs,  and  were  then  taking 
cloves  and  nutmeg.  The  cloves  were  all  stick,  and  the  nut- 
megs half  rotten ;  but  the  captain-major  and  factor  praised 
it  all  as  good,  so  that  the  Moors  and  Gentiles  were  of  opinion 
that  the  Portuguese  were  stupid,  considering  that  they  did 
not  perceive  that  deceit.  Then  the  captain-major  got  into 
the  litter,^  and  strongly  recominended  the  preparations  that 

'  This  account  differs  from  that  of  Barros  and  Camoens  in  many  re- 
s])ects ;  they  relate  that  Gama  had  an  audience  of  the  Zamorin,  whom 


200  BARROS'  ACCOUNT  OF  GAMA's 

were  to  be  made  tu  the  overseei*  of  tlie  treasury  and  to  the 
factor;  and  he  went  away  with  the  Catual,  thinking  that  he 

tliey  describe  in  much  the  same  language  as  that  of  Correa :  their 
account  of  Gama's  speech  or  embassage  to  the  Zamorin  is  also  the 
same,  except  that  they  do  not  mention  his  fiction  of  having  started  with 
iifty  ships.  Barros  represents  this  embassage  as  having  been  delivered 
at  a  second  audience,  and  that  at  the  first  two  letters  from  Dom  Manuel 
were  presented  to  the  Zamorin,  one  in  Arabic  and  the  other  in  Portu- 
guese. Barros  says  that  the  Catual  told  the  Castilian  iloor  to  attend 
upon  Gama ;  and  Camoens  represents  the  Catual  as  questioning  him 
about  the  Portuguese  ;  and  in  the  speech  which  he  puts  into  the  mouth 
of  the  Moor  Monzaide  the  poet  shows  more  knowledge  of  the  opinions 
of  the  Moors  than  is  to  be  found  generally  at  the  present  day,  for  Mon- 
zaide says  to  the  Catual  of  the  Portuguese,  Canto  vii,  69. — 

Tern  a  lei  de  hum  Propheta,  que  gerado 
Foi  sem  fazer  na  carne  detrimento 
Da  Mai,  tal  que  por  bafo  esta  approvado 
Do  Deos,  que  tern  do  muudo  o  regimento. 

They  hold  a  Prophet's  law  who  was  begot 
Sinless  nor  stained  with  carnal  detriment 
His  Mother  ;  and  that  same  the  Word  they  wot 
O'  the  God  who  sways  the  world  omnipotent. 

Captain  R.  Burton. 

Barros  then  says  that  the  Moors,  forewarned  by  auguries  of  the  ruin 
the  Portuguese  would  bring  upon  them  and  upon  Malabar,  persuaded 
and  bribed  the  Catual  to  thwart  the  Portuguese  ;  and  the  first  thing  he 
did  was  to  prohibit  the  Portuguese  from  going  out  of  their  house  on  the 
beach  into  the  town,  giving  as  a  reason  the  danger  of  their  getting  into 
a  quarrel  with  the  Moors.  Vasco  da  Gama,  seeing  these  delays,  asked 
to  be  dismissed  without  any  cargo  of  spices,  since  it  was  sufficient  for 
him  to  bring  back  news  to  the  King  of  Portugal,  and  Monzaide  ad- 
vised him  to  get  away  before  the  large  Arab  ships  arrived  from  the 
Red  Sea.  The  Catual  then  informed  the  Zamorin  that  in  general  all 
the  people  in  Calicut  who  came  from  the  west  said  that  the  Portuguese 
were  corsairs  rather  than  merchants,  that  they  were  men  banished  froui 
their  own  country,  and  that  the  letters  which  they  had  given  under  the 
name  of  embassage  were  a  fiction  to  conceal  their  infamy  as  vagabonds, 
that  it  was  not  in  reason  that  a  king  so  distant  as  was  the  west  of  the 
country  of  the  Franks  should  send  an  embassy  which  had  no  other 
foundation  than  a  desire  for  friendship  with  the  King  of  Calecut ;  and 
this  very  circumstance  showed  that  it  could  not  be,  for  one  reason  for 
frieudship  was  communication  between  persons,  and  assistance  in  action, 


AUDIENCE    OF    THE    ZAMORI>f.  201 

was  conducting  liim  to  the  King's  palace.  Tlie  Catual  went 
leisurely,  because  eight  men  whom  the  captain-major  took 

and  in  this  case  there  was  the  great  difference  between  their  respective 
creeds,  and  the  distance  between  the  states:  and  a  king  so  great  and 
powerful  as  the  King  of  Portugal  was  represented  by  them  to  be,  gave  a 
bad  sign  of  his  power  in  the  present  which  he  had  sent,  which  was 
rather  that  of  a  simple  merchant,  and  any  merchant  from  the  Straits 
gave  a  better  one :  they  had  brought  no  goods  in  proof  of  their  being 
merchants,  and  it  was  better  not  to  lose  the  profits  which  they  already 
had  from  the  Moors  for  the  promises  of  men  who  dwelled  in  the  extre- 
mities of  the  earth  and  required  two  years  of  navigation  to  arrive 

The  Zamorin,  on  reflection,  sent  for  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  urged  him  to 
tell  him  the  truth,  whether  he  was  in  reality  a  banished  man,  and  that 
if  so  he  would  assist  him,  and  whether  it  was  true  that  he  had  no  king, 
and  was  more  of  a  corsair  than  a  merchant.  Vasco  da  Gama  did  not 
let  him  go  on  further,  and  said  that  it  was  no  wonder  the  King  of 
Calecut's  vassals  thought  such  things,  from  the  great  novelty  of  people 
who  were  new  to  them  in  religion  and  customs,  and  who  had  come  by  a 
way  never  before  navigated,  with  an  embassage  from  a  powerful  king 
who  did  not  pretend  to  more  than  their  friendship,  and  to  giving  them 
a  new  outlet  for  their  spices,  because  Portugal  was  so  rich  in  men,  arms, 
horses,  gold,  silver,  silk,  and  other  things  necessary  to  human  life,  that 
they  did  not  require  to  seek  those  of  other  men,  especially  so  remote  aa 
those  of  India.  But  that  hearing  of  the  fame  of  the  Zamorin  his  King 
had  sent  him  to  him,  and  that  in  the  thousand  six  hundred  leagues  of 
coast  which  the  King  of  Portugal  had  discovered,  in  which  there  had 
been  found  many  Gentile  kings  and  princes,  he  had  required  nothing 
of  them,  except  to  instruct  them  in  the  faith  of  Christ  Jesus,  in  whose 
service  he  undertook  this  enterprise  of  new  discoveries.  And  besides  this 
benefit  of  salvation  of  souls  which  the  King,  D.  Manuel,  procured  for 
those  kings  and  peoples,  he  also  sent  them  ships  laden  with  things  which 
they  did  not  possess;  in  return  for  which  his  captains  brought  him  others 
which  were  in  those  countries.  By  which  exchanges  those  kingdoms 
which  accepted  his  friendship,  from  being  barbarian  became  polished, 
from  weak  became  powerful,  and  instead  of  poor,  rich  ;  all  at  the  cost 
of  the  labour  of  the  Portuguese.  In  this  his  King  only  sought  for  the 
glory  of  doing  great  things  for  the  service  of  his  God,  and  the  fame  of 
the  Portuguese.*    As  to  the  Moors,  as  they  were  their  enemies,  they  had 


*  The  history  of  a  very  few  years  later  shewed  how  false  this  language 
was.  Vasco  da  Gama  may  have  deceived  himself  ;  yet  the  same  lan- 
guage has  been  repeated,  with  the  same  consequences.  The  latest  occa- 
sion ou  which  the  language  has  been  used,  was  last  month,  in  advocacy 
of  extending  the  objects  of  the  Abyssinian  expedition.     (Dec.  3,  1867.) 


202  BAREOS'  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

with  hinij  in  woollen  jackets,  with  sticks  in  their  hands,  were 
getting  tired.     He  had  not  chosen  that  they  should  carry 

taken  from  them  four  principal  fortresses  in  the  kingdom  of  Fez  by  force 
of  arms ;  and  on  that  account  the  Moors  everywhere  reviled  the  name 
of  Portuguese,  and  maliciously  sought  their  death.  Such  treachery  they 
had  not  met  with  from  the  heathen,  because  they  were  naturally  friends 
of  the  Christians,  and  conformed  with  them  in  many  of  their  customs, 
and  in  the  fashion  of  their  temples,  as  he  had  seen  in  this  kingdom  of 
Calecut.  Even  the  King  of  Calecut's  Brahmans,  in  the  religion  which 
they  held  of  the  Trinity  of  three  Persons  and  one  only  God,  which 
amongst  the  Christians  was  the  foundation  of  all  their  faith,  conformed 
with  them  (though  in  another  very  different  manner)  \_Darros''  parenthe- 
sis], which  thing  the  Moors  contradict.  And  the  King  of  Portugal  had 
so  long  desired  to  make  the  discovery  of  the  way  from  Portugal  to  India, 
that  even  if  he,  Gama,  should  not  return,  by  reason  of  any  disaster, 
he  knew  for  certain  that  the  King  would  prosecute  this  discovery  until 
he  got  information  of  the  Zamorin.  He  therefore  begged  the  Zamorin 
to  use  his  power  to  protect  them  against  the  hatred  of  the  Moors,  and 
not  allow  them  to  be  the  cause  of  lighting  up  war  in  these  parts.  The 
Zamorin  listened  very  attentively  to  all  these  words  of  Vasco  da  Gama, 
looking  much  at  the  temperance  with  which  he  spoke,  and  the  fervour 
and  constancy  of  the  man,  in  order  to  form  a  conjecture  as  to  their  truth. 
As  he  was  a  prudent  man,  and  wished  also  in  part  to  satisfy  the  Moors, 
he  desired  Vasco  da  Gama  to  return  to  his  ships,  where  he  would  send 
him  the  reply  to  his  embassage.  lie  added  that,  for  the  present,  this 
seemed  most  suitable  for  Vasco  da  Gama  himself,  since  he  had  confessed 
that  there  was  hatred  between  the  Portuguese  and  the  Moors;  and  if 
the  Portuguese  remained  in  the  city,  they  might  exchange  words  which 
might  be  the  cause  of  their  receiving  some  injury,  against  his  will,  at 
which  he  would  be  displeased ;  and  with  this  he  dismissed  him. 

The  Catual  then  conducted  Vasco  da  Gama  out  of  Calicut,  under  the 
show  of  accompanying  him  half  way  to  the  place  of  his  embarcation ; 
and  he  had  secretly  ordered  the  officers  of  the  King,  who  were  in  Capo- 
cate,  where  he  took  leave  of  him,  to  detain  him,  like  men  who  did  that 
in  their  course  of  duty.  AVhen  Vasco  da  Gama  saw  himself  detained,  it 
appeared  to  him  that  it  was  rather  at  the  instigation  of  the  Moors  than 
by  the  orders  of  the  Zamorin,  and  he  began  to  complain  seriously  to  the 
officers;  but  they  said  that  he  complained  without  cause,  and  that  it  was 
their  duty  as  King's  officers  to  look  to  the  good  and  safety  of  the  country ; 
for  they  did  not  detain  him  with  the  intention  of  annoying  him,  but 
from  apprehension  that  he  would  cause  some  annoyance  or  injury  to  the 
people  of  the  country  after  he  got  to  his  ships,  according  as  it  was  said 
that  they  had  done  in  the  ports  where  they  had  touched ;  and  if  he  and 


PORTUGUESE    PROCEEDINGS    AT    CALECUT.  203 

swords,  which  the  Nairs  had  much  requested  of  him.   Neither 
did  the  captain-major  wear  anything  else  than  a  tunic  of  red 

his  people  were  peaceable  people,  they  ought  to  follow  the  custom  of 
those  parts,  especially  in  the  winter  season,  and  beach  their  sliips,  and 
not  always  remain  with  the  yards  hoisted,  like  people  who  had  the  design 
of  committing  some  evil.  To  this  Vasco  da  Gama  answered,  that  his 
ships  had  keels,  and  were  not  of  the  build  of  those  of  the  country,  and 
therefore  it  was  imjaossible  to  beach  them,  as  they  had  not  got  the  tackle 
and  fittings  which  they  had  in  Portugal  for  that  purpose.  Finally,  they 
were  so  urgent  as  to  beaching  the  ships,  or  leaving  on  shore  some  men 
with  goods,  in  the  manner  of  hostages,  until  the  Zamorin  should  dis- 
miss him,  saying  that  the  seafaring  men  required  it  in  order  to  be  able 
to  fish  in  security  with  respect  to  them,  that  Vasco  da  Gama  agreed  to 
leave  on  shore,  with  a  small  quantity  of  the  goods  which  they  carried 
for  buying  provisions,  Diogo  Dias  as  factor,  Alvaro  de  Braga  as  clerk, 
Fernan  Martins  the  interpreter,  and  four  men  of  his  service,  until  he 
saw  how  the  Zamorin  despatched  him.  Those  who  carried  out  this 
business,  since  they  saw  that  they  had  put  themselves  in  security,  con- 
sented to  Vasco  da  Gama's  re-embarking ;  but  they  put  all  manner  of 
artifices  in  the  way  to  prevent  Diogo  Dias  from  buying  anything,  so 
that  for  six  or  seven  days  they  were  rather  prisoners  than  factors.  Vasco 
da  Gama  complained  of  this  to  the  Catual,  who  gave  excuses  and  feigned 
ignorance  of  it.  The  Catual  also  advised  his  removing  the  factors  to 
Calecut  where  there  was  plenty  of  merchandise,  and  going  with  his  ships 
from  Capocateto  before  Calecut,  where  he  would  be  nearer  the  Zamorin. 
Vasco  da  Gama,  though  he  felt  that  these  artifices  were  delays  to  detain 
him  until  the  arrival  of  the  Red  Sea  ships,  nevertheless  moved  his  ships 
to  before  Calecut  in  order  more  easily  to  communicate  with  the  Zamorin 
and  to  know  what  his  factors  were  doing.  Vasco  da  Gama  hearing 
from  Monzaide  that  the  Moors  would  have  already  killed  them  had  they 
not  feared  to  anger  the  Zamorin,  and  seeing  that  the  Zamorin  had  for- 
gotten to  despatch  him  and  that  his  business  was  in  a  bad  way,  held  a 
council  with  his  brother  and  Nicholas  Coelho ;  and  after  it,  wroto 
through  Monzaide  to  Diogo  Dias  that  he  was  to  come  as  secretly  as 
possible  on  such  a  day  before  morning  to  the  beach  where  he  would  find 
boats  to  pick  him  up.  But  as  the  Moors  kept  watch  on  them,  they  per- 
ceived them  and  arrested  them,  taking  what  goods  they  were  carrying 
with  them.  Vasco  da  Gama  upon  this  seized  twenty  and  odd  fishermen 
who  came  to  sea  to  fish,  and  set  sail  with  them,  which  was  a  great  satis- 
faction to  the  Moors  at  seeing  the  disturbance  it  caused  to  the  Gentile 
Malabars,  and  the  cries  of  the  fishermen's  wives.  (Here  Camoens  varies 
slightly  from  Barros,  and  siiys  the  men  seized  by  Vasco  da  Gama  as 
reprisals  for  the  factors  were  old  and  rich  merchants  of  Calecut  who  had 


204        DARROS'  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PROCEEDINGS 

satin,  and  an  overcoat  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  a  scarlet  cloth 
cap.     Thus  they  went  by  roads  which  the  Catual  took,  with 

come  to  the  ships  to  sell  precious  stones.  • )  This  affair  reached  the  eaca 
of  the  Zamorin  at  once,  the  Moors  saying  that  now  he  would  see  what 
the  Portuguese  really  were,  and  as  the  Malabar  women  clamoured  for 
their  fathers  and  husbands,  the  Zamorin  sent  two  principal  men  of 
the  Gentiles  to  get  information.  These  reported  to  him  that  Vasco  da 
Gama  seemed  rather  to  have  taken  these  people  as  reprisals  for  his  own 
men  than  for  any  other  motive,  especially  as  he  was  under  sail  stand- 
ing off  and  on  the  shore  as  if  he  would  give  satisfaction  if  they  gave  it 
to  him.  The  Zamorin  sent  these  same  men  for  Diogo  Dias  and  the 
others  with  him,  and  spoke  to  them  of  the  method  of  despatching  them, 
and  bid  them  write  to  Vasco  da  Gama  to  treat  well  the  men  he  had  taken 
as  his  men  were  well  treated,  and  with  the  Zamorin,  who  would 
despatch  his  business  through  them.  Gama  remained  well  satisfied  with 
this  letter  ;  however,  he  made  some  more  tacks  out  to  sea  to  increase  the 
clamour  of  the  parties  interested  in  the  liberty  of  his  captives,  and  then 
anchored  before  the  city.  Finally,  the  Zamorin  despatched  Diogo  Dias 
to  Vasco  da  Gama  with  a  letter  which  he  had  written  to  the  lung  Dom 
Manuel,  in  which  he  said  that  he  had  received  his  letter  and  heard  his 
ambassador,  and  had  answered  him  ;  and  that  the  cause  of  his  departure 
in  that  manner  was  the  ancient  differences  between  Christians  and  Moors; 
that  he  would  feel  much  satisfaction  at  possessing  his  friendship  and 
trading  in  the  things  of  his  country,  if  it  could  be  without  those  scandals, 
because  he  held  the  Moors  as  being  natives  of  his  kingdom,  as  they  were  . 
people  employed  in  that  branch  of  commerce  since  very  ancient  times. 
With  this  letter  and  a  few  things  which  he  gave  to  Diogo  Dias  he  dis- 
missed him,  sending  two  Gentile  gentlemen  to  deliver  him  and  his  com- 
panions and  the  goods  which  had  been  detained  to  Vasco  da  Gama,  and 
receive  from  him  the  fishermen.  This  they  did  with  some  precautions  in 
the  method  of  the  delivery,  as  the  Moors  were  still  bent  on  their  artifices. 
But  when  all  our  men  were  regained,  on  account  of  some  goods  which 
they  would  not  give  up,  Vasco  da  Gama  retained  certain  Indians  whom 
lie  brought  with  him,  and  also  the  faithful  Monzaide,  and  departed 
that  day,  which  was  the  29th  of  August,  seventy-four  days  having 
elapsed  since  his  arrival  at  the  city  of  Calecut.t     (Camoens  also  says 


*  Castanheda  also  says  that  Gama,  on  looking  out  for  hostages,  first 
thought  of  taking  four  young  men  who  came  to  sell  jewels  ;  but  he  let 
them  go  after  receiving  them  well,  and  later  detained  six  persons  of  dis- 
tinction who  came  in  a  boat  with  nineteen  men. 

t  Castanheda  says  that  Gama  refused  to  take  his  merchandise,  and 
retained  his  prisoners  as  a  proof  of  his  discovery.     Chap.  xxiv. 


OP  TOE  PORTUGUESE  AT  CALECUT.  205 

many  turns^  until  it  became  nighty  when  they  stopped  at 
some  large  houses,  where  they  lodged  the  captain-major  and 

that  Gama  carried  off  by  force  some  Malabar  men  and  also  Monzaide, 
and  some  pepper,  cloves,  nutmeg,  and  cinnamon  as  proofs  of  his 
discovery,  -which  he  had  obtained  through  Monzaide :  Correa  related 
this  (p.  175)  of  Davane.  In  the  next  chapter,  Barros  says  that 
Gama,  on  leaving  Calecut,  set  up  a  landmark  named  Santa  Maria  on 
some  small  islands  close  to  the  coast,  since  one  named  S.  Gabriel,  which 
he  had  sent  to  the  Zamorin  by  Diogo  Dias  to  be  set  up  in  the  city  of 
Calecut  was  not  likely  to  be  left  standing  by  the  Moors  for  many  hours. 
Here  Gama  found  some  fishermen,  and  sent  by  them  a  letter  written  to 
the  Zamorin  by  the  hand  of  Monzaide,  in  which  he  complained  of  the 
deceit  practised  in  restoring  the  merchandise,  a  good  part  of  which  had 
remained  on  shore  (Barros  had  before  said  that  the  whole  quantity  sent 
was  but  little),  and  that  the  Zamorin  should  not  take  it  ill  that  he 
carried  away  with  him  some  of  his  subjects,  because  it  was  not  with  the 
object  of  reprisals  for  the  goods,  but  in  order  that  the  King  his  sovereign 
might  through  them  be  informed  of  the  State  of  Calecut,  and  by  the 
same  means  the  Zamorin  might  learn  the  affairs  of  Portugal,  when  he  or 
some  other  captain  returned  to  his  city,  which  he  hoped  would  be  the 
following  year,  for  the  confusion  of  the  Moors.  Castanheda  gives  the 
same  account  of  a  letter  which  he  says  was  written  by  Bomtaibo  in 
Arabic,  on  the  Monday,  10th  of  September,  to  the  King  of  Calecut, 
because  Gama  thought  they  would  require  his  friendship  if  they  re- 
turned there,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  use  some  ceremony  with  him. 

Camoens,  Canto  viii,  60. 
Sobre  isto  nos  conselhos,  que  tomava 
Achava  mui  contrarios  pareceres. 
Que  n'aquelles,  com  quem  se  aconselhava, 
Executa  o  dinheiro  sens  poderes  : 
O  grande  Capitao  chamar  mandava, 
A  quem,  chegado,  disse  :  Se  quizeres 
Confessar-me  a  verdade  limpa  e  nua, 
Perdao  alcantjar^  da  culpa  tua. 

61. 
Eu  sou  bem  informado,  que  a  embaixada. 
Que  de  teu  Rei  me  deste,  que  he  fingida  ; 
Porque  nem  tu  tens  Rei,  nem  patria  amada, 
Mas  vagabundo  vds  passando  a  vida : 
Quem  da  Hesperia  ultima  alongada, 
Rei,  ou  senhor,  de  insania  desmedida, 
Ha  de  vir  commetter  com  nA.os  e  f rotas 
Tao  incertas  viagens,  e  remotas  ? 


206  CAMOENS'    ACCOUNT    OF    GAMA's    AUDIENCE. 

his  men  in  a  separate  inner  house  in  the  middle  of  the  other 
houseSj  and  they  gave  them  poor  straw  mats  upon  which  to 
sit.  When  the  captain-major  left  the  factory,  the  Castilian 
passing  by  Joan  Nuz,  who  came  last  of  all,  said  to  him, 
"  Sufrir  y  callar"  (endure  and  be  silent).  This  he  repeated 
to  the  captain-major  as  they  were  coming  along  the  road,  at 

62. 
E,  se  de  grandes  reinos  poderosos 
O  teu  Rei  tern  a  rcgia  magestade, 
Que  presentes  me  trazes  valerosos, 
Signaes  de  toa  incognita  verdade  ? 
Com  pe(jas,  e  dons  altos  sumptuosos 
Se  Ha  dos  Reis  altos  a  amizade  ; 
Que  signal,  nerQ\penhor  nao  he  bastante 
As  palavras  de  hiJm  vago  navegantc. 

63. 
Se  por  Ventura  vindes  desterrados, 
Como  jd  foram  homens  de  alta  sorte, 
Em  meu  reino  sereis  agasalhados  ; 
Que  toda  a  terra  he  patria  para  o  forte  : 
Ou  se  piratas  sois  ao  mar  usados, 
Dizei-mo  sem  temor  de  infamia,  ou  morte  ; 
Que,  por  se  sustentar  em  toda  idade, 
Tudo  faz  a  vital  ueccssidade. 

60. 
Forthwith  a  council  he  conven'd,  but  found 
Discordant  sentiments  alone  prevail'd  ; 
For  gold  among  his  faithless  Counsellors 
Its  pow'rful  influence  had  exercis'd. 
The  great  commander,  then,  the  Samorim 
Summon'd,  and  thus  address'd  :  "  If  thou  to  mo 
The  pure  unvarnish'd  truth  wilt  now  confess. 
Pardon  for  thy  offence  thou  shalt  obtain  ; 

61. 
For  well  am  I  inform'd  this  embassy. 
Which  thou  jiretendcst  by  thy  King  is  sent, 
Is  a  mere  fiction.     Neither  King  hast  thou, 
Nor  belov'd  country  ;  for  thy  life  is  pass'd 
In  lawless  roving.     From  Iberia 
Would  any  Sovereign  with  sense  endued. 
Hither  send  Missions,  and  confide  his  fleets 
To  seas  unknown,  remote  and  unexplor'd  ? 


VEXATIONS    PUT    UPON    GAMA    BY.   THE    CATUAL.  207 

which  he  was  irritated.  They  remained  thus  sitting  in  the 
house,  upon  the  mats,  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  night. 
Then  they  brought  them  boiled  rice  upon  fig-leaves,  with 
boiled  fish ;  and  they  shut  the  door  outside,  and  no  one 
spoke  to  them  any  more;  only  they  set  down  inside  ajar  of 
water.  Some,  who  were  hungry,  ate;  but  the  captain-major 
ate  nothing,  from  his  irritation  and  anger;  and  he  walked 
up  and  down  almost  the  whole  night,  for  the  house  was  very 
close,  and  the  air  very  still.  When  it  was  morning  they  did 
not  open  the  door  till  very  late,  when  the  Catual  sent  to  tell 
him  that  the  King's  orders  were  for  him  to  remain  there,  as 
he  could  not  speak  to  him.  The  captain-major  sent  Joan 
Nuz  with  a  njessage  to  the  Catual,  but  they  did  not  permit 
him  to  go  with  it;  and  they  again  shut  the  door  until  almost 
midday,  when  they  brought  them  rice  and  fish  to  eat,  as 
before.  Then  Joan  Nuz  said  to  the  people  who  brought  it, 
that  they  required  to  go  out  for  their  natural  wants.  They 
said  they  would  go  and  tell  the  Catual  ;  and  in  a  short  time 
they  returned  with  leave  for  those  to  go  out  who  wanted ; 

62. 
If,  too,  thy  King  the  royal  sceptre  wields 
Over  dominions  great  and  powerful, 
What  costly  off' rings  hast  thou  to  present, 
To  prove  thyself  his  Representative? 
Gifts  of  inestimable  price  are  wont 
The  amity  of  Monarclis  to  cement ; 
Nor  is  such  friendship  adequately  pledg'd 
By  a  mere  wand'ring  Navigator's  word. 

C3. 
If  thou  art  exilM  from  thy  native  land, 
(Which  oft  has  been  the  fortune  of  the  great). 
In  my  dominions  thou  shalt  be  receiv'd  : 
For  ev'rywhere  the  brave  a  country  find ; 
Or  if  to  piracy  thou  hast  thyself 
Devoted,  here  thou  need'st  not  fear  or  death 
Or  infamy  ;  for  stern  necessity 
Life  to  preserve  all  means  may  justify." 

Musgrave. 


v/ 

208         DETENTION  OP  GAMA  BY  THE  CATUAL. 

and  five  went  out,  who  were  separated;  and  each  one  went 
with  a  Nair  as  a  guard,  who  conducted  them  to  the  edge  of 
a  thicket,  where  they  were  able  to  retire.  After  that  they 
again  put  them  in  the  house,  and  shut  them  in  ;  and  so 
they  remained  all  day  and  the  night,  and  all  were  very  angry 
at  seeing  themselves  thus  prisoners.  The  captain-major, 
although  his  heart  was  burning  with  fire,  yet  dissembled,  and 
put  on  a  good  face,  telling  them  not  to  be  angry,  because 
God  would  deliver  them,  if  it  so  pleased  Him.  Next  day, 
in  the  morning,  the  Nairs  took  them  away,  saying  that  the 
Catual  had  ordered  them  to  go  in  that  direction,  and  they 
went  amongst  thickets  until  about  midday,  stifled  with  the 
great  heat  of  the  sun ;  and  they  reached  the  bank  of  a  river, 
where  they  were  put  into  two  Indian  boats,  and  they  went 
along  a  great  river  which  had  large  villages  of  houses  on 
both  banks.  The  boat  in  which  five  of  the  Portuguese  went, 
remained  behind,  and  the  boat  which  carried  the  captain- 
major  arrived  at  a  place  where  there  were  some  small 
thatched  houses.  There  they  did  not  let  them  land  ;  only 
they  remained  until  some  rice  was  cooked,  which  they  gave 
them,  saying  that  there  was  nothing  else  to  eat  with  it. 
Some,  who  were  very  hungry,  ate  it ;  but  his  great  passion 
did  not  suffer  the  captain-major  to  eat ;  and  they  again 
proceeded  along  the  river.  The  captain-major  was  very 
angry  because  he  did  not  see  the  other  boat,  but  he  said 
nothing;  and  when  it  was  almost  night  they  landed,  andT 
were  put  into  a  house,  and  shut  in,  in  the  same  manner. 
Joan  Niiz  asked  the  Nairs  for  the  other  boat ;  they  said  that 
it  would  come  soon. 

When  a  great  part  of  the  night  had  passed,  the  captain- 
major  was  called  and  told  that  the  Catual  wanted  him,  and 
they  did  not  allow  any  one  to  go  with  him  except  the  in- 
terpreter. As  the  captain-major  was  going  out,  he  told  the 
men  who  remained  in  the  house,  who  were  three  in  number, 
to  be  discreet,  and  if  they  removed  them  from  that  place 


DETENTION    OP    VASCO    DA    QAMA.  209 

to  any  other  whatsoever  to  say  nothing  good  or  evil,  and  not 
to  answer  anything  if  they  were  questioned,  and  to  do  no 
harm  even  if  it  should  be  done  to  them,  because  it  would 
be  of  no  advantage  to  them  since  there  they  were.  The 
other  men  of  the  other  boat  were  brought  and  put  in 
another  house  close  to  this  one,  without  their  having  any 
knowledge  about  the  captain-major,  and  they  shut  them  up 
also  in  a  house,  and  took  away  their  sticks,  which  they 
gave  up  without  showing  any  passion,  because  Joan  de^ 
Setubal  told  them  that  it  was  requisite  to  endure  every- 
thing and  say  nothing,  but  only  act  as  though  they  were 
ignorant,  and  did  not  feel  what  was  done  to  them ;  but 
they  wept  with  rage  because  they  did  not  know  what  had 
been  done  with  the  captain-major.  He  was  conducted  for 
a  short  distance  among  the  bushes,  and  the  other  Nairs  re- 
mained behind,  and  he  went  with  one  Nair  alone  by  a 
narrow  path  through  the  bushes,  so  that  his  heart  was 
much  afflicted,  and  they  reached  some  houses  in  which  he 
was  put  alone  in  a  house  and  shut  in.  All  these  vexations 
were  practised  upon  him,  because  the  Moors  who  were 
with  the  Catual  only  acted  thus  in  order  that  the  Portu- 
guese might  break  out  into  open  violence.  Whilst  the 
captain-major  was  thus  coming  through  the  thicket  with 
only  one  Nair,  the  Moors  offered  much  money  to  the  Catual 
to  order  him  to  be  killed ;  this  he  did  not  dare  do,  saying 
that  if  he  did  such  a  thing  he  would  be  very  certain  of  his 
own  death,  which  the  King  would  inflict  on  him  and  upon 
all  his  lineage ;  and  that  they  well  saw  how  much  he  was 
labouring,  and  into  what  trouble  he  was  bringing  the  Por- 
tuguese, and  how  they  endured  everything  without  moving 
against  him.  This  night  the  captain-major  remained  alone 
with  very  sad  thoughts,  for  he  did  not  know  what  would 
become  of  himself  nor  what  had  been  done  with  his  men. 
Next  day  in  the  morning  they  brought  him  where  the  Catual 
was,  who  was  sitting  on  the  couch  on  which  he  slept,  and 


210  DISCUSSION    BETWEEN    GAMA    AND    THE    CATUAL. 

looking  very  ill-disposed  ;  without  speaking  to  Vasco  da 
Gama,  nor  bidding  him  sit  down,  he  kept  him  standing 
until  they  called  Joan  Nuz  to  interpret ;  when  he  had  come, 
the  Catual  said  to  him  that  a  ship  had  arrived  from  Mombaza 
and  Quiloa,  in  which  had  come  respectable  merchants  who 
said  and  certified  to  the  King,  that  the  Portuguese  were 
\  robbers  who  went  about  the  sea  plundering,  and  that  under 
'  the  cloak  of  merchants  they  entered  countries  to  see  if  they 
■  could  plunder,  which  they  had  attempted  to  do  in  Quiloa 
'  and  Bombaza ;  but  that  they  had  not  allowed  them  to  enter 
within.  On  which  account  the  King  of  Calecut  was  highly 
indignant,  and  had  ordered  their  ships  to  be  taken,  and  all 
of  them  were  to  be  kept  prisoners  until  they  confessed  the 
truth  to  him  ;l  therefore  the  captain-major  should  tell  him 
the  truth,  that  he  might  go  and  relate  it  to  the  king.  The 
captain-major,  speaking  with  much  assurance  and  almost 
laughing,  said  to  the  Catual  that  he  should  conduct  him  to  the 
King  and  he  would  tell  him  the  truth ;  and  that  he  was  not 
going  to  tell  to  him  anything  of  that  which  he  questioned 
him  about,  and  that  he  might  go  and  tell  the  King  so.  The 
Catual  rose  up  with  signs  of  great  anger,  and  asked  him 
why  he  did  not  tell  it  to  himself  who  was  questioning  him. 
But  the  captain-major  did  not  answer  anything ;  neither 
would  he  speak  at  all,  although  the  Catual  put  many  ques- 
tions to  him.  Then  the  Catual  again  ordered  Vasco  tla^ 
Gama  to  be  put  in  another  house  by  himself,  and  Joan  Nuz     ] 

*  Barros  does  not  notice  this  ;  Camoens  does,  and  says : 

Canto  VIII,  85. 
Aos  brados,  &  razoens  do  capitao, 
Responde  o  idolatra,  que  mandasse 
Chegar  d  terra  as  naos,  que  longe  estao. 
Torque  melhor  dali  fosse,  &  tornasse. 

To  all  the  captain's  importunities, 
The  pagan  bids  him  in  a  word,  command 
(For  tlie  more  ready  truck  of  merchan-Jise) 
To  liave  liis  ships  brought  close  up  to  the  land. 

Fanshaw. 


DELIBERATION    OF    THE    CATUAL    WITH    THE    MOORS.        211 

in  anctlier,  and  the  Catual  again  sent  for  Joan  Nuz  and  put 
many  questions  to  him  ;  but  he,  who  had  always  been  warned 
by  the  captain-major  as  to  what  he  was  to  say,  answered 
many  things  beside  the  purpose.  The  Catual  talked  of  it 
with  his  own  people,  and  said  that  a  man  was  a  brute  who 
did  not  know  how  to  speak  except  what  he  was  told  to  say  ; 
and  he  asked  him  if  the  ships  contained  much  merchandise. 
He  replied  that  they  contained  a  good  deal  of  the  same  as 
what  was  in  the  factory.  Then  they  again  put  him  in  the 
house ;  and  the  Catual  took  counsel  with  the  Moors,  as  to 
the  advisableness  of  making  the  Portuguese  disembark  all 
the  merchandise  that  they  had  got,  and  then  they  would  go 
and  tell  the  King  that  he  ought  to  take  it,  which  he  would 
do  as  he  was  very  covetous,  and  then  they  would  tell  him 
that  they  had  information  that  the  Portuguese  were  robbers 
who  went  about  plundering  by  sea  aud  land,  and  that  he 
should  command  them  all  to  be  executed,  and  their  ships  to 
be  taken,  and  then  there  would  remain  in  his  hands  great 
riches  which  would  be  found  in  the  ships  ;  and  that  after- 
wards no  one  could  do  him  any  harm  on  that  account.  This 
seemed  good  to  the  Moors,  who  gave  presents  of  rich  jewels' 
to  the  Catual  to  act  in  that  manner.  But  the  Catual  only 
spoke  thus  to  the  Moors  in  order  to  extract  from  them  the 
large  sums  which  they  gave  him,  for  he  well  knew  that 
although  the  King  was  very  covetous,  and  might  easily 
practise  some  exaction  upon  them,  yet  to  take  their  ships 
and  put  them  to  death,  that  he  would  never  do,  because  he 
would  not  choose  to  incur  so  great  a  stain  upon  his  honour. 
The  Catual  made  these  calculations ;  and,  desiring  to  see 
what  course  he  could  take,  he  spol^e  to  the  captain-major 
the  next  day,  and  told  him  that  the  King  had  commanded 
that  Vasco  da  Gama  should  have  all  the  merchandise  which 
he  had  got  in  the  ships  brought  on  shore  and  put  in  the 
factory,  and  after  that  he  would  give  him  the  whole  of  his 
cargo  in  four  days,  and  then  he  should  depart  immediately. 


212  DISCUSSIONS  BETWEEN  QAMA  AND  THE  CATUAL. 

To  this  the  captain-major  replied  that  he  would  do  what  the 
King  commarided,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  send  a  mes- 
sage to  the  ships  for  them  to  send  the  merchandise.  Then 
the  Catual  went  to  other  houses  a  little  distance  off  close  to 
the  sea^  where  the  Portuguese  were  who  had  remained  in 
the  house  and  those  who  had  come  in  the  boat  which  had 
been  separated,  and  neither  party  knew  anything  of  the 
other,  and  they  placed  them  in  other  houses  close  by  [where 
the  captain-major  was] .  Since,  during  all  these  days,  neither 
the  factor  nor  any  of  the  Portuguese  knew  what  had  become 
of  the  captain-major,  they  went  about  very  sorrowfully  be- 
cause they  did  not  know  what  had  been  done  to  him ;  and 
they  were  very  sad  because  no  message  came ;  and  the 
factor  spoke  of  it  to  the  overseer  of  the  treasury,  who  told 
him  that  the  King  was  a  long  way  off,  and  for  that  reason 
there  was  this  delay,  for  the  overseer  did  not  know  anything, 
and  truly  thought  that  the  captain-major  was  with  the  King, 
who  was  at  a  distance  of  two  leagues  thence.  Then  the 
Catual  told  the  Moors  the  answer  which  the  captain-major 
had  given  him,  and  that  he  was  as  calm  and  as  little  angry 
as  if  he  had  not  felt  anything,  though  he  had  done  so  many 
things  to  him  and  to  his  men,  and  they  did  not  utter  a  word. 
The  Moors  then  said  that  he  should  let  the  captain-major 
send  a  man  to  the  ships  to  bring  ashore  the  merchandise; 
and  if  they  did  not  bring  it,  then  they  would  be  justified  in 
going  and  telling  the  King  that  he  had  promised  to  bring 
all  the  merchandise  on  shore,  and  now  would  not  bring  it, 
because  he  did  not  trust  the  King's  good  faith ;  and  with 
this  they  could  also  tell  the  other  things,  which  would  make 
the  King  indignant,  so  that  at  least  he  would  not  give  the 
Portuguese  any  more  cargo,  so  that  they  would  immediately 
discover  the  design  which  they  entertained.  Then  the 
Catual  told  the  captain-major  that  he  had  sent  to  inform  the 
King  of  what  he,  the  captain  major,  had  said,  and  that  the 
King  was  satisfied,  but  that  he  ordered  that  he  should  not 


PROCEEDINGS    OP    PAULO    DA   GAMA.  213 

reembark  until  all  the  cargo  was  complete.  At  which  the 
captain-major  shewed  much  pleasure,  and  said  that  the  King 
did  him  a  great  favour,  and  acted  like  a  good  friend  and 
brother  of  the  King  his  sovereign.  Then  the  Catual,  seeing 
the  satisfaction  of  the  captain-major,  was  pleased  at  seeing 
him  content,  and  sent  for  the  Portuguese  to  come  from 
where  they  were  to  the  captain-major,  and  all  were  much 
delighted  because  the  captain-major  made  them  a  sign  to 
that  eflfect.  He  then  sent  Joan  de  Setubal  to  the  ship  in 
an  Indian  boat  wliich  the  Catual  gave  him,  for  this  place 
was  about  a  league  distant  from  the  factory ;  and  he  told 
him  to  tell  his  brother  all  that  had  happened,  and  the  state 
in  which  he  was;  and  therefore  he -was  to  send  the  Indian 
boat  laden  with  merchandise  of  all  sorts;  and  if  he  saw  that 
they  did  not  allow  him,  Vasco  da  Gama,  to  go  on  board,  he 
was  to  take  back  the  factor,  and  nobody  was  to  go  on  shore, 
and  he  was  to  keep  a  good  guard  over  the  hostages.  This 
had  been  done;  for  after  the  captain-major  went  on  shore, 
Paulo  da  Gama  had  not  again  allowed  them  to  come  out  of 
the  cabin.  They  indeed  had  desired  to  escape,  if  they  had 
been  able,  for  the  Catual  had  sent  them  word  to  do  so 
through  the  boys  who  brought  them  their  food  from  the 
shore.  Joan  de  Setubal  gave  the  message  to  Paulo  da 
Gama,  who  was  furious  when  he  knew  what  had  happened ; 
but  he  at  once  sent  the  Indian  boat  laden  with  merchandise, 
and  Joan  de  Setubal  remained  on  board  the  ship,  as  the 
captain-major  had  told  him  to  do;  and  the  Indian  boat  with 
the  merchandise  came  to  land  where  the  Catual  was,  who, 
on  seeing  the  boat  laden  with  goods,  sent  it  to  the  factory; 
and  the  negroes  told  the  factor  that  the  captain-major  was 
there  enjoying  himself  with  the  Catual,  and  that  he  ordered 
all  the  merchandise  to  be  brought  on  shore.  So  the  factor 
rejoiced  very  much,  and  sent  to  tell  the  captain-major  that 
he  had  sent  to  the  ship  for  goods,  and  that  they  had  not 
sent  any  because  they  had  not  got  his  orders,  and  therefore 


/ 


214  COMMUNICATIONS    BETWEEN    VASCO 

it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  the  ship  to  have  the 
merchandise  sent,  because  they  had  sent  to  tell  him  that  they 
were  not  going  to  send  any  more.  The  captain-major 
was  put  out  at  this  message,  and  told  the  Catual  to  give 
him  many  Indian  boats,  with  which  he  would  shortly  return 
with  all  of  them  laden  in  superabundance,  because  nothing 
that  he  brought  on  shore  had  to  return  to  the  ships,  and 
whatever  was  over  and  above  would  remain  for  him  and  for 
the  Gozil  and  the  overseer  of  the  treasury;  and  that  he,  the 
Catual,  would  have  all  the  merchandise  in  his  hands  until 
the  cargo  was  completed.  The  Catual,  covetous  of  this, 
oi'dered  ten  large  Indian  boats,  in  which  the  captain-major 
was  going  to  embark;  but  the  Catual  would  not  consent  to 
it,  and  told  him  to  send  the  Portuguese  men  in  the  boats, 
and  that  only  the  interpreter  and  two  others  should  remain 
with  him;  and  that  when  the  boats  came  with  the  merchan- 
dise, then  he  would  send  him  on  board  at  once.  At  this  the 
captain-major  dissembled,  and  shewed  no  passion;  and  he 
sent  to  say  to  his  brother  that  he  was  of  opinion  that  even 
though  he  were  to  send  the  boats  full  of  goods,  they  would 
not  let  him  go;  and  therefore,  if  it  should  be  so,  he  required 
him,  for  God's  sake,'and  as  his  own  brother  by  blood  he 
much  entreated  him,  that  when  he  saw  clearly  that  they  did 
not  intend  to  let  him  embark,  that  he  should  at  once  send 
the  hostages  on  shore  with  much  honour  and  with  gifts,  and 
that  he  should  immediately  make  sail ;  and  if  they  did  not 
set  him  at  liberty  upon  the  arrival  of  the  hostages,  he  was 
then  to  return  to  the  kingdom,  and  give  information  to  the 
King  of  what  had  been  done;  and  if  he,  Vasco  da  Gama, 
remained  behind,  and  were  killed,  nothing  was  lost;  but  if 
Paulo  da  Gama  did  not  go  back  to  Portugal,  so  great  a 
benefit  would  be  lost,  that  he  would  have  to  give  an  account 
of  it  to  God ;  therefore  he  was  to  do  nothing  else  except 
depart,  because  if  he  remained  there  in  the  port,  it  would  be 
the  cause  of  their  killing  him,  or  torturing  him,  to  obtain 


AND    HIS    BROTHER    PAULO    DA    GAMA.  215 

the  delivery  of  the  ships  or  the  merchandise;  or  what  was 
most  certain,  many  ships  which  were  in  the  port  would  go 
out  to  fight  them,  for  which  the  Moors  would  make  great 
efforts.  Paulo  da  Gama,  on  receiving  this  message  from  his 
brother,  ordered  the  men  to  come  on  board  the  ship,  and 
would  not  send  out  any  more  goods;  and  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  captain-major  saying  that  without  him  he  would  not 
depart  from  the  port ;  and  for  this  he  would  spend  his  life 
and  the  ships,  for  all  the  crew  were  ready  to  die  together 
for  this  matter;'  therefore  Vasco  da  Gama  was  not  to  send 
him  any  orders,  because  in  this  he  should  do  only  what 
would  seem  to  all  of  them  for  the  best ;  therefore  let  the 
Catual  undeceive  himself,  because  if  he  did  not  at  once  set 
him  at  liberty,  they  would  make  war,  and  destroy  all  the 
ships  that  were  in  the  port.  The  captain-major  rejoiced 
much  at  this  letter.  The  Catual,  seeing  that  the  boats  re- 
turned without  anything,  asked  the  captain-major  why,  and 
he  replied  that  the  captain  of  the  ship  would  not  give  any 
merchandise  until  he  went  on  board.  At  this  the  Catual 
became  very  melancholy.  He  then  went  to  the  factory,  and 
took  the  factor  and  clerk,  with  the  three  men  who  were  with 
them,  and  the  captain-major  with  three  others,  and  took 
them  to  the  house  of  the  Gozil,  and  delivered  them  up  into 
his  keeping  whilst  he  went  to  tell  the  King  of  the  affront 
which  they  had  given  him.  Then  the  Catual  went  to  the 
King,  and  said  to  him  :  "  Sire,  since  I  belong  to  you,  all 
these  days  I  have  been  labouring  for  jour  service,  and  I  had 
brought  much  merchandise  on  shore  from  the  ships;  and 
the  ambassador,  with  falsehood,  promised  that  he  would 
cause  to  be  brought  on  shore  all  the  merchandise  he  had  got 
in  the  ships,  which  was  so  much  that  there  would  remain 

'  Castanheda  gives  a  similar  account  of  Paulo  da  Gama's  resolution  to 
rescue  his  brother ;  he  however  says  that  the  merchandise  was  sent  on 
shore  with  Diogo  Diaz,  the  factor,  and  Alvaro  de  Braga,  his  clerk,  upon 
which  {^ma  was  released  and  returned  to  the  ships. 


216  THE  catual's  representations  to  the  king. 

some  over  and  above^  and  all  that  remained  in  excess  was  to 
I  be  for  you.  And  when  all  was  thus  agreed  upon,  I  sent  ten 
boats  to  the  ships,  and  the  men  who  went  in  them  did  not 
choose  to  return,  and  sent  back  the  boats  empty,  and  said 
that  the  ambassador  and  factor,  and  all  that  was  in  the 
factory,  were  to  be  sent  to  them  immediately,  because,  if 
they  were  not  sent,  they  would  at  once  make  war,  and  burn 
all  the  ships  that  were  in  the  port.  ,  On  which  account  I  have 
spoken  to  the  Moors,  who  are  the  owners  of  the  ships ;  and 
all  offer  themselves  to  fight,  and  take  or  burn  the  Portuguese 
ships."  This  the  Moors  also  repeated  to  the  King,  and  they 
certified  to  him  that  the  Portuguese  were  robbers,  and  with 
falsehood  went  about  thus  giving  presents  in  order  to  see 
and  spy  countries  and  peoples,  and  then  they  committed 
their  evil  deeds ;  and  that  the  goods  which  were  in  the  fac- 
tory ought  to  be  given  up  for  the  injuries  which  they  had 
committed  at  sea.  But  the  Moors  did  not  desire  to  have 
anything,  but  only  that  the  King  should  order  it  all  to  be 
taken  and  collected  for  himself.  When  the  King  heard  this, 
(  he  at  once  ordered  the  goods  in  the  factory  to  be  brought 
\  in,  and  commanded  that  the  captain-major  and  the  others 
I  should  be  put  to  death.  His  Brahman  and  the  overseer  of 
the  treasury  hindered  him  in  this,  and  said :  "  Sire,  do  not 
command  such  a  thing  to  be  done,  for  you  have  no  reason 
for  it ;  because,  even  though  all  that  the  Catual  says  were 
true,  yet  up  to  this  time  the  Portuguese  have  done  no  harm, 
but  rather,  like  good  people,  have  been  very  mild  and  peace- 
able. Look,  that  they  gave  you  so  rich  a  present  that  such 
an  one  was  never  given  in  all  India.  Let  this  matter  be ; 
and  whenever  you  see  that  they  do  harm,  then  execute  your 
will."  Upon  this  there  were  long  debates,  for  the  Moors 
wished  to  make  war  at  once;  however,  it  seemed  best  to  the 
King  to  wait  until  the  Portuguese  should  first  commence  to 
do  injury. 

Puulo  da  Gama,  seeing  that  the  boats  brought  nothing, 


PAULO    DA    QAMA    HOLDS   A    COUNCIL.  217 

but  on  the  contrary  brought  word  that  they  had  seen  the 
factor  go  away  with  many  people^  and  the  door  of  the  fac- 
tory shut  up,  all  felt  much  anger,  not  knowing  what  was 
going  on  on  shore;  and  so  they  remained  all  night,  keeping 
a  careful  watch.     Next  day   Paulo   da  Gama  called  all  to 
a  council,  and  he  spoke  to  all  of  them  of  the  message  which 
his  brother  had  sent  him,  whom  he  valued  so  much,  and 
much  more  than  his  own  life,  and  said  that  to  go  away  and 
abandon  him  was  so  strong  a  measure,  that  he  would  die 
sooner  than  return  to  Portugal ;  and  that  he  knew  the  tem- 
perament of  his  brother,  who  would  give  a  hundred  lives  in 
exchange  so  long  as  that  the  King  his  sovereign  were  in- 
formed of  what  he  had  already  done ;  and  for  his  part  the 
greatest  danger  which  he  saw  for  the  lives  of  those  that 
were  on  shore  would  be  if  they  were  to  move  and  do  any  in- 
jury, such  as  it  was  in  their  power  to  do,  to  the  ships  in  the 
harbour ;  and  that  he  had  reflected  much  upon  this  during 
the  night,  and  had  determined  on  setting  the  hostages  at 
liberty,  and  on  sending  them  ashore  with  much  honour,  for 
it  might  be  that  this  might  bring  some  advantage,  and  that 
they  might  let  our  men  go,  or  at  least  do  them  no  harm. 
This  seemed  good  to  them  all,  and  they  agreed  that  in  any    z'  \/^ 
case  this  should  be  done.     Upon  this  Nicolas  Coelho..  offered 
to  go  on  shore  with  them,   trusting  to  what   God  might 
please,  because  if  they  did  not  set  free  the  captain-major, 
he  intended  to  remain  with  him.      This  decision  was  at 
once  put  in  execution,   and   Paulo   da   Gama  brought  the 
Nairs  out  of  the  cabin  and  said  to  them  that  the  King  had 
sent  them  to  remain  there  in  pledge  until  the  ambassador 
returned  to  the  ship,  and  in  case  of  any  harm  being  done 
him  on  shore,  for  their  heads  to  be  cut  off;  and  he  asked 
whether  they  knew  that  this  was  so.     They  answered,  yes : 
that  there  they  were,  and  if  any  harm  were  done  to  the 
ambassador  on  shore,  the  Portuguese  might  cut  off  their 
h«ads  if  they  pleased,  for  they  were  men  who  had  brothers 


218       PAULO  DA  GAMA  RELEASES  THE  HOSTAGES. 

and  relations  on  shore  who  would  revenge  their  deaths,  even 
upon  the  person  of  the  King.  Then  Paulo  da  Gama  re- 
lated to  them  all  that  the  Catual  had  done  to  the  ambas- 
sador, which  the  King  did  not  know  of;  but  that  since  the 
King  had  wicked  and  traitorous  servants  and  people  who 
without  any  fear  of  him  did  such  things,  he  would  depart 
immediately  and  return  to  his  country,  and  they  might  do 
what  they  pleased  with  the  Portuguese  who  remained  on 
shore;  and  since  they,  the  Nairs,  were  men  of  gentle  birth, 
let  them  look  well  to  what  was  so  requisite  for  their  own 
honour,  and  complain  much  to  the  King  of  the  contumely 
which  he  would  be  heaping  upon  them ;  and  they  were  to 
tell  the  King,  that  he  might  know  for  certain  that  their 
King  was  so  good,  that  for  the  love  of  one  man  alone  he 
would  send  to  take  vengeance  for  him  as  far  as  the  extre- 
mity of  the  world,  and  let  him  know  of  a  surety  that  they 
would  take  a  great  revenge  since  their  ambassador  had 
gone  on  shore  to  oflFer  so  rich  a  present,  under  the  King's 
peace  and  good  faith,  which  he  broke  like  a  base  man,  and 
did  not  keep  faith,  and  did  not  act  like  the  great  King  of 
Calecut,  of  whose  greatness  so  much  had  been  told  them  in 
Melinde.  But  now,  in  all  the  countries  to  which  they  went, 
they  would  relate  his  frauds  and  falsehood;  and  that  he  was 
a  king  who  deceived  foreign  people,  and  that  he  did  not 
possess  the  goodness  and  truth  of  the  good  King  of  Melinde : 
that  he  was  going  away,  and  let  the  King  take  good  care 
of  those  that  remained  on  shore,  for  he  swore  by  the  head 
of  the  King  his  sovereign  that  he  would  have  to  pay  dearly 
for  them.  Then  he  gave  to  each  of  the  Nairs  a  red  cap,  a 
knife  and  sheath,  three  ells  of  red  satin,  and  a  gold  Portu- 
guese, and  sent  them  in  the  boat,  to  put  them  on  shore  if 
they  found  an  Indian  boat.  The  Nairs  seeing  that  they 
were  well  paid  as  if  they  had  rendered  great  service,  and 
that  the  ships  intended  to  depart,  begged  much  of  Paulo  da 
Gama  not  to  leave,  but  to  wait  until  they  had  got  on  shore 


THE  HOSTAGES  REMONSTRATE  WITH  THE  KING.  219 

and  spoken  to  the  King.  He  replied  that  he  was  not  going 
to  wait  for  anything,  that  he  knew  now  that  Calecut  had  a 
treacherous  king.  The  boat  carried  them  close  to  the 
shore,  and  they  called  an  Indian  boat,  which  carried  thera 
to  the  beach,  and  the  boat  returned  to  the  ships,  which 
made  sail  leisurely,  with  a  light  wind  which  was  a  land 
breeze  ofif  shore,  and  as  it  was  now  afternoon  it  was  slight ; 
and  they  stood  out  of  the  port  under  foresails  and  mizens, 
and  soon  after  the  wind  fell  altogether,  and  changed  to  a 
sea  breeze,  with  which  they  again  came  to  anchor,  a  league 
from  the  shore. ^  The  Nairs,  on  arriving  before'  the  King, 
in  the  presence  of  his  court,  repeated  all  to  him  just  as 
Paulo  da  Gama  had  spoken,  and  they  said  that  if  he  were 
going  to  order  the  ambassador  to  be  put  to  death,  that  he 
should  say  so,  because  then  they  would  at  once  kill  them- 
selves there  before  him,  since  he  the  King  had  given  them 
as  pledges  of  his  good  faith,  and  they,  trusting  to  it,  had 
staked  their  heads,  and  they  owed  them,  and  it  was  not 
right  that  they  should  keep  them,  since  he  had  not  kept 
faith;  and  that  he  ought  to  look  well  at  this  so  great 
damage  that  he  would  be  doing  to  his  honour,  since  the 
Portuguese  had  done  no  harm  in  his  country,  but  had  given 
him  the  most  valuable  present  which  had  ever  been  given 
to  a  king  of  Calecut;  and  he  should  consider  what  the  Por- 
tuguese would  say  of  him  wherever  they  went,  which  would 
be  a  very  ill  report,  the  chief  part  of  which  would  be  that 
he  had  wished  to  rob  them  of  their  goods  which  they  had 
brought  on  shore.  The  overseer  of  the  treasury  supported 
the  Nairs  much  in  this  statement,  and  the  Gozil  also,  to 
whom  the  Nair  his  nephew  made  much  remonstrance.  The 
King,  on  hearing  this,  and  seeing  that  the  ships  were  de- 
parting without  the  injury  which  the  Moors  announced,  re- 
pented of  what  he  had  done,  seeing,  too,  the  clamour  of 

^  Castanheda  describes  the  ships  as  standing  out  to  sea  and  anchoring 
before  Calicut. 


/ 


220  THE    KING    RELEASES    GAMA    WITH    APOLOGIES. 

the  NairSj  and  he  summoned  before  him  the  broker  who 
was  with  the  factor.  He^  on  coming  into  the  King's  pre- 
sence, threw  himself  at  his  feet,  and  said  :  "  Sire,  give  a 
great  punishment  to  whoever  has  counselled  you  to  do  so 

I  great  an  evil  against  your  great  honour  by  breaking  your 
faith."  The  King  ordered  the  factor  to  be  called  :  he  camo 
shortly,  and  the  King  told  him  to  go  with  the  overseer  of 
the  treasury  to  see  how  much  merchandise  he  had  in  the 

I  factory,  and  he  would  immediately  order  it  to  be  paid  for. 

I  And  he  sent  for  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  he  begged  his  pardon 

imany  times,  saying  that  he  had  been  deceived  with  bad 
counsel,  and  evil  reports  which  had  been  made  against  him; 
but  for  the  deceit  which  had  been  practised-  upon  him,  he 
would  inflict  a  good  chastisement  on  those  who  deserved  it, 
and  this  he  swore  he  would  do ;  therefore  he  might  embark 
at  once,  and  go  with  good  wishes.  To  this  the  captain- 
major  only  replied,  that  the  King  should  do  that  which  his 
honour  required,  because  he  was  a  foreign  man,  and  if  the 
King  were  not  so  to  act,  people  would  speak  very  ill  of  him. 
The  King  then  gave  Vasco  da  Gama  a  large  quantity  of  fine 
white  stufFs^^nd  pieces  of  silk,  and  a  gold  jewel  with  rubies 
and  pearls,  and  so  took  leave  of  him,  asking  his  pardon  fre- 
quently, and  saying  that  if  at  any  time  he  returned  to  his 
country  he  would  hear  of  the  punishment  which  he  had  in- 
flicted upon  those  who  had  given  him  the  bad  counsel. 
While  Vasco  da  Gama  was  thus  going  away  accompanied  by 
the  Nair  hostages,  they  met  the  factor,  who  was  returning 
to  tell  the  King  that  the  factory  had  been  robbed,  and  the^ 
captain-major  would  not  suffer  the  faptor  to  return  to  the 
King,  for  the  broker  said  that  the  robbery  had  been  done 
by  the  King.  The  captain-major  embarked  in  two  Indian 
boats  with  all  his  men,  and  bade  farewell  to  the  overseer  of 

jthe  treasury,  and  said  that  if  at  any  time  he  returned  to 
Calecut  he  would   take  his  revenge  upon  those  who  had 

"done  him  wrong.     The  overseer  of  the  treasury  said  he  re- 


INFORMATION  GIVEN  TO  GAMA  BY  THE  CASTILIAN.  221 

gretted  very  mucli  the  manner  in  which  he  had  been  treated, 
but  that  the  King  was  not  in  fault. j  The  Castilian  came  up 
in  a  hurry  and  got  into  the  boats  which  the  Moors  had  sent, 
for  as  a  known  friend  he  went  with  them  to  the  ship  to  see 
the  design  which  they  entertained.  The  captain-major  was 
very  glad  to  see  the  Castilian,  and  on  coming  to  the  ships, 
when  the  Portuguese  saw  the  captain-major  they  wept  with 
joy.  When  all  had  come  on  board,  the  brothers  embraced 
with  great  delight. 

Then  the  Castilian  related  that  all  the  evil  had  been 
caused  by  the  Catual  of  the  gate,  who,  for  the  large  bribes 
given  him  by  the  Moocs,  had  done  everything  wdthout  the 
King  having  known  or  given  any  orders  about  it,  and  had 
carried  them  through  the  woods ;  subjecting  them  to  those 
great  vexations  in  order  that  they  might  commit  some  out- 
rage which  they  could  have  reported  to  the  King,  so  that  he 
might  have  ordered  them  all  to  be  put  to  death ;  but  they 
had.  preserved  themselves  by  behaving  so  patiently  that  the 
Nairs  themselves  felt  grief  for  them,  and  disputed  with  the 
Moors;  and  then,  seeing  that  they  did  no  harm,  th^Xlatual  } 
went  to  the  King  with  the  accusation  of  the  falsehood,  with  \ 
which  the  Portuguese  refused  to  bring  the  merchandise  on 
shore,  as  they  had  agreed  to  do ;  and  he  had  said  so  many 
bad  things  of  them  that  the  King  gave  orders  to  put  them 
to  death ;  and  it  would  have  been  done  had  not  his  Brah:;__ 
man  prevented  it,  and  after  him  the  overseer  of  the  treasury; 
and  they  should  give  great  thanks  and  praise  to  the  Lord 
for  having  delivered  them  from  such  great  risk  in  which 
they  had  been  placed.  Then  the  captain -major  gave  to  the 
'Castilian  five  portugueses  of  gold  and  ten  ells  of  scarlet 
cloth,  and  four  red  caps ;  and  he  gave  him  a  signed  docu- 
ment, which  said  :  "  Portuguese  gentlemen,  this  Castilian, 
named  Alonso  Perez,  is  our  sincere  friend ;  therefore  place 
all  confidence  in  him,  because  I  have  found  in  him  all  good 
faith,  as  he  is  a  faithful  Christian.^'    This  he  signed,  and  the 


■y 


222  THE    CASTILIAN    TAKES    LEAVE    OF    GAMA. 

,     Castilian  was  more  pleased  with   it  than  with  all  the  rest, 

and  promised  that  he  would  fulfil  that  which  the  document 

said.     The  captain-major  promised  him  that  if  he  returned 

to  India,  and  found  him  there,  he  would  do  for  him  what  he 

I        deserved ;  and  he  told  him  to  say  to  the  Moors,  that  for  love 

^        of  them  he  would  come  back  to  India  :  and  that  the  evils 
i  ... 

which  they  had  procured  for  him  would  be  their  destruction, 

as  they  wx)uld  see,  and  they  might  keep  it  in  their  remeiif^ 
brance.     With    this   he    dismissed    the  Castilian,   who,  on 
^  •  ^7  >^    arriving  on  shore,  told  the  Moors  of  the  great  hatred  and 
spite    against   them  which    the   Portuguese  were   carrying 
4-  (,■  away  with,  them  ;  and  that  they  went  away  swearing  that  if 

i^  they  returned  to  India  they  would  revenge  themselves,  and 

the  Moors  should  pay  them  for  the  robbery  which  the  King 
had  committed  in  the  factory,  since  they  had  been  the  cause 
of  all.  He  told  the  overseer  of  the  treasury  that  the  Portu- 
guese spoke  very  highly  of  him,  and  without  doubt,  if  they 
came  back  to  India,  he  would  find  a  good  friend  in  them,  on 
account  of  the  sincerity  they  had  always  experienced  from 
him.  The  things  which  the  Castilian  related  were  repeated 
to  the  King,  for  which  reason  he  sent  for  him,  and  the  Cas- 
tilian gave  him  an  account  of  it  all.  The  King  then  recog- 
nising the  error  which  he  had  committed,  desired  to  give 
the  satisfaction  which  his  honour  required ;  and  as  the  ships 
were  at  anchor,  waiting  for  a  wind,  the  King  sent  the  Cas- 
tilian with  one  of  his  Brahmans,  of  very  great  credit,  in  an 
Indian  boat,  with  great  haste,  to  tell  the  captain-major  that 
he  felt  very  great  regret  for  what  had  happened ;  but  that 
he  had  arrested  the  person  whose  fault  it  was,  and  he  would 
inflict  upon  him  the  punishment  which  he  would  see  ;  there- 
fore he  greatly  entreated  him  to  return  to  the  port,  because 
\  he  would  send  on  board  his  ship  all  the  goods  required  to 
complete  the  lading  of  the  ships,  and  all  the  goods  which 
had  remained  on  shore,  for  he  did  not  wish  them  to  go  away 
speaking  ill  of  him.     The  captain-major  answered  that  he 


\ 


GAMA    SAILS    FROM    CALECUT.  223 

was  not  going  to  return  to  the  port^  and  that  he  was  going 
back  to  his  country  to  relate  to  his  King  all  that  had  hap- 
pened to  him,  and  he  would  tell  him  the  truth,  which-  was 
that  all  had  been  caused  by  the  treachery  of  his  own  people 
with  the  Moors  ;  and  if  at  any  time  he  should  return  to 
Calecut,  he  would  revenge  himself  upon  the  Moors  who  had 
done  all  the  harm;  with  which  he  dismissed  the  messengers, 
saying  that  he  would  tell  his  King  of  the  good  compliments 
of  the  King  of  Calecut  now  that  he  had  repented  of  his 
error.  As  there  was  a  fair  wind  the  ships  set  sail,  and 
they  gave  great  praise  to  the  Lord  who  had  delivered  them 
from  so  great  perils,  and  they  were  content,  although  the 
ships  were  only  half  laden,  for  the  masters  said  that  so  they 
sailed  very  well,  because  the  ships  were  old  and  would  not 
have  been  very  safe  if  fully  laden.  The  captain-major  said 
that  with  only  ten  quintals  of  each  kind  of  goods  that  he 
carried  he  was  very  well  satisfied,  and  that  the  Lord  had 
shown  him  great  favour  in  granting  him  what  he  ha^  got, 
which  was  sufficient  for  the  King  to  be  certain  that  he  had 
discovered  India;  and  if  the  Lord  were  pleased  in  His  mercy 
to  bring  them  to  Portugal,  then  the  King  could  order  the 
ships  to  be  fully  laden.  So  they  went  running  down  the 
coast.  The  King  of  Calecut  remained  with  much  inclina- 
tion to  use  severity  against  the  Moors  in  respect  to  their 
merchandise,  but  did  not  dare  to  give  them  offence  lest 
they  should  go  out  of  his  country,  by  which  he  would  have 
incurred  great  loss.  Then,  as  he  thought  that  the  Portu- 
guese would  go  to  Cananor,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  King, 
giving  him  an  account  of  the  error  he  had  committed 
against  our  men,  with  many  excuses  to  the  effect  that  the 
Moors  had  been  the  cause  of  it,  and  that  he  sent  to  make 
great  entreaty  of  the  Portuguese  to  return  to  his  country  to 
see  the  punishment  which  he  gave  to  those  who  were  in 
fault,  and  in  order  to  complete  the  cargo  of  the  ships  with 
the  goods  which  remained  on  shore,  which   they  had  re- 


224       DELIBERATIONS  AT  CANANOR  ABOUT  THE  PORTUGUESE. 

fused  to-  do,  on  which  account  he  felt  much  regret,  and  if 
the  Portuguese  went  to  Cananor,  he  requested  him  to  tell 
them  all  this  on  his  behalf.  To  which  the  King  of  Cananor 
answered  that  he  would  do  so. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

How  the  Portuguese  went  to  the  port  of  Cananor,  and  saw  the  King, 
and  of  what  happened  with  him,  and  what  they  settled. 

While  the  Portuguese  were  at  Calecut,  the  King  of  Cananor 
always  knew  all  that  happened  to  them,  because  he  had 
sent  people  for  that  purpose  to  write  to  him  everything. 
The  Moors  of  Cananor,  who  received  information  from  those 
of  Calecut,  in  order  to  indispose  the  inclination  of  the  King, 
used  to  tell  him  many  lies  about  the  Portuguese,  that  they 
used  violence  and  arrogance  in  Calecut,  and  many  other 
false  tales  with  respect  to  which  the  King  knew  the  truth. 
For  which  reason,  one  day  that  the  Moors  were  thus  re- 
lating these  things  to  him,  he  said  that  no  one  should  tell 
him  lies,  because  he  would  order  his  head  to  be  cut  off  for 
it.     The  King  said  this  because  he  had  already  settled  in 

i  his  heart  that  he  would  establish  as  much  peace  with  the 
Portuguese  as  they  might  be  willing,  because  he  was  al- 
ways talking  to  his  soothsayers,  who  continually  repeated 
<'7  \     what  they  had  said  to  the  King,  and  they  said  to  him  that 

1  the  evils  done  in  Calecut  caused  by  the  Moors  would  doubt- 
less grow,  and  that  the  Portuguese  would  always  do  much 
harm  to  Calecut,  and  would  destroy  the  Moors  throughout 
India,  and  would  turn  them  out  of  India,  and  they  would 
never  again  possess  the  navigation  which  they  noAV  had. 
The  King  said  that  if  that  came  to  pass,  that  he  also  would 
receive  great  losses  to  his  kingdom.  The  soothsayers  said 
to  him  and  gave  great  assurances  that  so  it  would  be,  be- 


PREDICTIONS    OF    THE    SOOTHSAYERS.  225 

cause  the  Portuguese  would  be  masters  of  the  sea,  and  that 
no  one  would  be  able  to  navigate  upon  it  unless  they  were 
friends  of  the  Portuguese,  and  that  whoever  were  their 
enemies  would  be  destroyed  at  sea  and  on  the  land,  and 
that  they  were  telling  him  the  truth,  and  he  should  take 
counsel  and  do  what  appeared  to  him  to  be  for  the  best^V/ 
The  Portuguese,  then,  running  along  the  coast  with  land 
and  sea  breezes,  Avhich  was  in  November  of  1498,  found 
themselves  one  morning  in  sight  of  Cananor,  far  out  at  sea, 
and  the  King  had  kept  boats  out  at  sea  lest  they  should 
pass  by  night ;  the  land  breeze  began  to  fall  and  the  ships 
became  becalmed  until  there  sprung  up  a  change  of  wind 
from  the  sea  which  brought  them  to  land,  and  they  came 
before  the  port  of  Cananor."  When  the  ships  were  sighted, 
the  King  at  once  sent  to  them  a  large  boat,  which  they  call 
a  parao,  with  a  good  crew,  in  which  he  sent  a  Nair  of  his 
with  a  message  to  the  captains,  begging  them  much  and 
supplicating  them  by  the  life  of  the  King  their  sovereign, 
not  to  pass  by  without  going  to  his  port  to  see  him,  because 
it  was  very  necessary  for  a  great  good,  and  also  for  them  to 
refit  themselves,  for  he  already  knew  the  evil  which  had 
been  done  them  in  Calecut,  which  he  regretted  very  much. 

'  The  following  lines  from  a  Persian  Kasidah,  or  ode  of  Niamet  Ullah 
Wely,  written  in  the  year  570  a.h.  or  1174  a.d.,  may  be  given  as  an 
instance  of  the  sayings  of  the  soothsayers  referred  to  in  the  text. 

The  nation  of  the  Christians  shall  seize  upon  the  whole  of  Hindostan. 

Then,  when  tyranny  and  innovation  shall  have  become  a  custom 
among  them, 

The  King  of  the  West  shall  fight  against  them  victoriously, 

Between  them  there  shall  be  great  wars, 

The  Christians  without  doubt  shall  be  defeated, 

Islam  shall  remain  victorious  for  forty  years  in  the  realm  of  Hind  ; 

After  that  Dajal  shall  appear  in  Isfahan, 

T'o  drive  out  Dajal — listen  to  what  I  say, — 

Jesus  comes,  and  the  Mehdy  of  the  End  of  Time  shall  come. 

^  Goes,  Castanheda,  Barros,  and  Camoens  take  Vasco  da  Gama  away 
from  the  Indian  coast  on  leaving  Calecut ;  none  of  them  say  anything 
of  Cananor. 


226  ARRIVAL    AT    CANANOR. 

Following  after  this  message,  he  sent  many  boats  with  jars 
of  water  and  wood,  figs,  fowls,  cocoa-nuts,  dried  fish,  butter, 
and  cocoa-nut  oil,  and  a  message  to  say  that  if  they  would 
not  listen  to  his  request  to  come  and  speak  to  him,  he  begged 
them  to  take  these  things  which  he  had  sent,  and  which 
they  required  for  their  voyage ;  and  since  they  were  mer- 
chants, they  made  a  great  mistake  in  not  completely  filling 
their  ships  with  a  cargo  of  the  goods  they  had  come  in 
search  of,  and  that  he  would  give  them  as  much  as  they 
wanted,  and  they  would  not  be  losing  any  time  for  their 
voyage ;  and  he  would  be  surprised,  since  they  were  men  of 
good  understanding  if  they  rejected  his  friendship,  so  he 
entreated  them  much  and  would  give  them  the  merchandise 
at  a  much  better  price,  and  in  better  condition  than  what 
had  been  given  them  in  Calecut,  because  he  desired  to  esta- 
blish a  sincere  peace  and  friendship  with  them.  The  good 
brothers  having  heard  this  message,  for  the  captain-major 
as  yet  went  in  his  brother's  ship,  both  held  a  council,  and 
settled  to  have  an  interview  with  the  King,  and  to  establish 
with  him  peace  and  trade,  since  that  was  what  they  had 
come  in  quest  of;  and  they  went  on  till  they  arrived  at  the 
port,  and  anchored,  with  the  ships  dressed  out  with  flags 
and  standards,  and  they  fired  salutes  with  chambers^  towards 

'  Camaras :  these  were  tubes  or  cylinders  which  received  the  charge 
and  were  introduced  into  the  breech  of  the  cannon,  sometimes  fitted  by 
pressure,  at  other  times  by  screwing  ;  as  is  mentioned  by  Diego  Ufano, 
in  his  Treatise  on  Artillery^  Brussels,  1617,  p.  15:  "The  parafuso  (screw- 
gun)  of  Lisbon  is  likewise  a  piece  of  ordnance but  the  chamber  is 

with  a  screw  fitting."  Further  on  he  says  of  this  gun  called  parafuso — 
"  Its  form  shows  well  how  much  labour  there  was  in  fitting  it  with  its 
chamber  or  breech,  the  charge  of  which  was  always  made  and  fashioned 
after  the  method  used  for  loading  with  cartridges  or  little  bags  of  stuff." 
See  also  Cibrario,  Frammenti  JStorici,  Torino,  1856,  p.  406,  etc.,  who 
mentions  camaras  and  mascolos,  which  are  the  same  as  camaras.  Cibrario 
also  says  that  every  bombard  had  a  spare  chamber  to  change  with  the 
one  already  discharged. 

Thus  the  camara  was  a  separate  piece  of  metal  which  was  adjusted  to 


BREECH-LOADING    ARTILLERY.  227 

the  outside,  not  to  do  any  harm  to  the  shipping.  The 
King,  who  saw  this  from  the  beach,  was  much  pleased,  and 
immediately  sent  one  of  his  ministers  to  visit  the  Portu- 
guese and  convey  to  them  many  thanks  for  having  come  to 
the  port,  and  to  entreat  of  them  to  complete  the  taking  in 
of  the  ships'  cargoes  with  what  suited  them  best,  as  he 
would  give  them  of  everything ;  and  they  were  not  to  omit 
to  take  these  goods,  even  though  they  might  not  have 
wherewith  to  pay  for  it;  because  he  would  give  it  all  if  they 
would  swear  by  the  head  of  their  King  and  sovereign  that 
when  they  returned  to  India  they  would  come  to  his  city  to 
take  cargo,  and  establish  peace  and  the  friendship  of  a 
brother  between  him  and  their  King,  for  which  purpose 
he  was  ready  to  see  them  whenever  they  pleased,  and 
this  they  ought  to  do  since  it  so  much  suited  them.  To 
this  the  Portuguese  replied  with  many  compliments  and 
thanks,  saying  that  they  would  do  everything  that  he  de- 

the  cannon,  and  there  were  some  which  served  for  firing  salutes  inde- 
pendently of  their  cannon. 

The  passage  in  the  text  might  perhaps  also  be  translated — They  fired 
salutes  with  chambers  outside  [the  guns]  so  as  not  to  hurt  their  ships. 

From  the  following  passage  of  Gaspar  Correa's  History  of  Pedralvares 
Cabral,  1500,  it  will  be  seen  that  these  chambers  served  like  modern 
cartridges  for  rapidly  loading  breech-loading  guns.  "As  all  (the  boats) 
were  going  in  good  order,  and  Nicolas  Coelho  in  the  van,  he  ordered 
the  guns  to  be  fired.  The  bombardier  had  not  well  covered  up  the 
chambers  which  he  carried  loaded,  and  he  set  fire  to  them,  so  that  all 
went  off  with  the  balls  which  they  carried,  which  wounded  the  sailors, 
and  some  men  were  burned,  and  the  boat  was  stove  in,  and  would  have 
gone  to  the  bottom  if  the  others  had  not  crowded  up,  and  they  took 
it  between  other  boats,  and  returned  to  the  ships.  This  the  captain, 
major  took  for  an  omen,  and  he  did  not  choose  that  they  should  return 
against  the  [Indian]  ships." 

Colonel  A.  Lane  Fox  informs  me  that  this  practice  of  firing  the 
chambers  for  salutes  has  continued  to  the  present  day,  and  the  guns 
now  fired  in  St.  James's  Park  on  the  Queen's  birthday  are  these  identical 
chambers  of  the  ancient  Bombards,  which  have  been  used  ever  since ; 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  ancient  custom  of  firing  these  chambers 
will  never  be  given  up. 


228  PRESENTS    TO    THE    KING    OF    CANANOR. 

sired,  only  if  he  would  excuse  the  interview  between  them, 
which  was  a  thing  that  could  not  be,  because  the  King  their 
sovereign  forbade  them  ever  going  on  shore  without  first 
having  established  peace  and  friendship  by  means  of  signed 
letters  with  which  he  could  be  satisfied,  and  therefore  in  all 
the  rest  of  what  the  King  of  Cananor  might  desire  they 
would  do  everything  in  accordance  with  his  pleasure.  With 
this  they  gave  a  list  of  the  things  which  were  wanting  to 
complete  the  cargo,  and  also  of  what  they  wanted  for  the 
voyage.  Immediately,  on  the  following  day,  the  King  sent 
to  them  in  paraos  all  that  they  had  asked  for,  with  super- 
fluity, so  that  they  sent  some  back  ashore.  The  captain- 
major  seeing  such  generosity  and  such  demonstrations  on 
the  part  of  the  King,  desired  to  overcome  him  in  liberality, 
and  without  weighing  or  reckoning  he  sent  him  in  the  same 
paraos  so  large  a  quantity  of  branch  coral,  vermilion,  quick- 
silver, and  brass  and  copper  basins,  that  the  whole  was  well 
worth  the  double  of  what  the  King  had  sent.  When  the 
paraos  went  away  from  the  ships,  Nicolas  Coelho  was  sent 
in  a  boat  with  a  present  to  the  King,  viz.,  a  piece  of  green 
cloth,  a  piece  of  brown  satin  velvet,  a  piece  of  crimson 
damask,  a  large  silver  basin,  thirty  scarlet  cloth  caps,  two 
knives  with  sheaths,  and  five  ells  of  darker  scarlet  cloth. 
On  reaching  the  beach,  the  clerk  called  men,  who  carried 
away  the  present,  and  the  boat  returned  to  the  ship  with- 
out any  of  the  crew  having  landed,  for  the  cap  tain -major 
had  thus  ordered  it.  The  King  was  much  delighted  with 
the  present,  and  said  to  Nicolas  Coelho  that  the  goods 
which  had  been  sent  in  excess  should  be  left  for  them  to 
pay  for  whenever  they  pleased,  and  that  he  was  much 
pleased  with  the  present,  because  his  heart  saw  that  which 
it  had  desired,  but  that  it  would  not  be  altogether  at  rest 
unless  he  saw  the  cap^tains  with  his  own  eyes,  and  he  would 
manage  that  they  should  not  violate  the  commands  of  their 
King.     With  this  he  dismissed  Nicolas  Coelho,  and   sent 


MESSAGES    BETWEEN    GAMA    AND    THE    KING.  229 

him  to  the  ships  in  a  parao.  Immediately  afterwards,  with 
great  haste,  the  King  ordered  a  wooden  bridge  to  be  made, 
which  advanced  into  the  sea  as  much  as  a  cross-bow  shot, 
and  very  narrow,  so  that  only  one  man  could  pass  upon  it 
in  front  of  another,  and  at  its  extremity  a  chamber  was 
made  of  wrought  wood  ;  thither  the  King  came  to  sit  with  six 
or  seven  persons,  for  the  house  would  not  hold  more,  and 
there  he  could  see  the  ships  better,  and  send  everything 
which  they  required.  Then  he  sent  word  to  say  that  he 
begged  the  captains  very  much  to  come  and  see  him  in 
their  boats,  since  they  could  do  so  without  any  infraction  of 
their  King's  commands,  because  he  was  waiting  for  them  in 
the  water  where  they  could  come  in  their  boats  without 
touching  land.  The  captains  seeing  so  great  a  desire  on 
the  part  of  the  King,  disposed  matters  for  complying  with 
his  will,  and  for  making  a  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship, 
and  an  agreement  as  to  merchandise,  for  they  bore  in  mind 
that  if  Calecut  did  not  make  a  good  settlement,  they  could 
take  advantage  of  Cananor  and  its  capabilities,  and  from 
thence  they  might  gain  the  good  will  of  Calecut;  so  that  on  all 
accounts  it  was  very  necessary  to  make  an  agreement  with 
Cananor.  They  sent  to  tell  the  King  that  they  would  go  and 
see  him  whenever  he  commanded  it.  The  King,  with  much 
satisfaction,  sent  his  thanks,  and  a  request  that  they  would 
come  the  very  next  day,  and  that  they  would  get  ready  for 
that  purpose.  Next  day  the  King  came  with  many  people 
and  music,  and  in  state,  very  richly  dressed,  and  sat  down 
in  the  chamber,  which  was  hung  with  rich  silken  stuflfs,  and 
he  sat  on  a  dais  covered  with  silk  stuffs.  The  captains 
came  in  their  boats :  they  were  gaily  dressed,  and  the 
sailors  also  wore  very  splendid  clothes,  which  the  captain- 
major  gave  them,  made  of  the  silk  stuffs  which  the  King 
had  given,  and  there  were  carpets  in  the  boats  and  covered 
chairs,  and  rugs  on  the  thwarts,  on  which  the  crew  sat; 
and  the  boats  carried  forked  streamers  of  white  and  red 


230  VISIT  OF  THE  POKTUGUESE  CAPTAINS 

damask  with  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  the  trumpets  soundecl, 
and  the  boats  carried  their  swivel  guns,  and  on  leaving  the 
ships  they  fired  salutes  with  many  chambers.  As  they 
were  coming  along,  the  King's  minister,  who  governs 
all  the  kingdom,  came  to  the  King,  who  sent  him  to  accom- 
pany the  captains,  to  do  them  more  honour.  The  captains 
showed  him  much  respect,  and  Vasco  da  Gama  took  him 
into  his  boat  and  carried  him  with  him.  When  they 
reached  the  chamber  where  the  King  was,  the  two  captains 
made  him  profound  salutations,  and  remained  standing  with 
their  caps  in  their  hands.  The  King  rose  to  them  from  his 
seat  much  pleased,  and  came  to  the  edge  of  the  planking ; 
and  he  ordered  the  boats  to  come  close  up,  and  entreated 
the  captains  to  come  in  where  he  was,  which  they  did  as  the 
King  requested  it  so  much,  and  as  there  were  only  his  chief 
men  with  him,  about  seven  or  eight  persons.  When  they 
entered  the  chamber,  the  King  took  them  both  by  the  hand, 
and  sat  down  with  them  upon  his  dais,  and  looked  at  them  with 
much  delight.  The  King  inquired  which  of  them  had  been 
a  prisoner  in  Calecut;  and  Paulo  da  Gama  said:  "^Sire,  this 
brother  of  mine  it  was  to  whom  the  King  did  much  harm 
without  his  deserving  it."  The  King  said  that  the  King  of 
Calecut  had  sent  him  a  letter  begging  him,  if  the  Portu- 
guese came  to  Cananor,  to  exculpate  him,  because  what 
had  been  done  had  happened  without  his  knowledge,  and  he 
had  been  deceived,  at  which  he  had  been  very  angry,  and 
would  take  great  vengeance  on  those  who  had  given  him 
bad  counsel.  The  captain-major  replied  :  "  Sire,  when  the 
King  gives  this  punishment  we  shall  see  that  he  speaks  the 
truth ;  we  now  no  longer  remember  this,  for  the  time  will 
come  that  he  will  repent  still  more  of  it.''  Then  Paulo  da 
Gama  said,  by  means  of  the  broker  Davane  and  the  Melinde 
pilot,  who  interpreted :  "  Sire,  you  will  have  already  known 
who  we  are,  and  how  we  have  come  to  this  country,  which 
it  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  relate  to  you  more  at  length  : 


TO  THE  KINO  OF  CANANOR.  231 

I  only  say  that  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes  that  you  are 
truly  a  good  king,  without  any  of  the  falseness  of  the  King 
of  Calecut,  on  which  account  we  have  come  here  at  your 
call;  and  since  you  show  so  much  goodness  in  your  conduct 
and  actions,  we  shall  be  glad  to  establish  with  you  peace 
and  good  friendship,  which  shall  always  endure  with  the 
King  our  sovereign,  who  is  so  good  a  king,  that  when  he 
establishes  friendship  with  any  good  king,  he  then  becomes 
like  his  brother,  a  friend  of  his  friends,  and  enemy  of  his 
enemies ;  this  sincere  friendship  being  thus  established,  we 
will  serve  you  like  our  own  king,  which  will  do  likewise,  as 
many  of  us  as  may  come  later  to  India,  as  you  will  see."  The 
King  answered  him:  "There  is  now  in  my  heart  the  greatest 
joy  that  I  ever  thought  to  feel,  and  within  me  all  is  peace 
and  friendship  towards  your  King ;  therefore  I  will  affirm  it 
in  the  manner  you  may  desire,  according  to  my  custom,  be- 
cause it  will  give  rest  to  my  heart,  which  has  desired  this 
from  the  first  day  that  I  saw  your  ships,  and  since  I  learned 
what  happened  to  you  in  Calecut ;  with  the  friendship  of 
your  King  which  you  will  give  me,  my  heart  will  be  very 
tranquil  until  I  see  in  this  my  port  other  ships  which  will 
bring  me  an  answer  from  your  King ;  and  if  you  promise 
me  this,  my  desire  will  be  accomplished/'  Then  Paulo  da 
Gama  replied:  "Sire,  the  certainty  of  seeing  our  ships  come 
to  this  your  port  with  an  answer  from  our  KingjGod  can 
give  it  according  to  his  will,  because  we  are  going  amidst 
the  perils  of  the  sea;  but  we,  who  are  both  sons  of  one 
father,  we  promise  you,  by  God  who  is  in  the  heavens,  and 
by  the  head  of  our  King,  that  if  any  other  ships  of  our 
King  should  come  to  this  port,  they  will  bring  with  them 
letters  ratifying  the  security  of  your  peace  and  brotherhood, 
which  will  last  for  ever  as  long  as  you  so  wish  it ;  all  which 
we  two  promise  in  the  name  of  our  King  from  this  day  for- 
ward for  ever  ■}  and  in  remembrance  of  it  and  as  a  trust- 

'  The  Viceroy  Francisco  d' Almeida  says,  in  a  letter  to  the  King :  "  I 


232  VISIT    TO    THE    KING. 

worthy  sign  we  give  you  this  sword  ;  as  such  is  the  custom 
of  our  King,  who,  when  he  establishes  a  new  friendship, 
gives  a  sword  to  certify  its  sincerity,  because  by  breaking 
it  he  would  remain  with  the  loss  of  his  honour,  since  all 
honour  is  gained  with  the  sword.  For  which  reason,  from 
this  day  forward  for  ever  peace  and  friendship  with  you  re- 
main secured  on  our  part."  Then  they  gave  him  the 
sword  which  Paulo  da  Gama  carried:  it  had  a  hilt  enamelled 
with  gold,  and  a  velvet  scabbard  with  the  point  sheathed 
with  gold.  The  King  then  said  that  all  those  words  and 
promises  and  assurances  which  they  had  given  to  him  on 
behalf  of  their  King,  he  in  the  same  manner  said  and 
affirmed  them  for  ever  upon  his  head  and  upon  his  eyes^  and 
by  the  womb  of  the  mother  that  bore  him  :  and  he  at  once 
ordered  a  gold  leaf  to  be  prepared,  upon  which  all  these 
things  were  written,  and  which  the  King  and  his  ministers 
signed^\  Then  the  King  gave  them  a  splendid  gold  collar 
of  jewels  and  pearls,  broad  to  go  upon  the  shoulders,  for  the 
King,  it  might  be  worth  ten  thousand  cruzados,  and  ten 
pieces  of  silk  with  gold  thread,  a  very  handsome  thing;  and 
he  gave  to  each  of  the  captains  a  thick  round  gold  chain 
with  a  gold  jewel  set  with  precious  stones,  and  six  gold 
rings  with  valuable  gems;  and  to  each  of  them  twenty  very 
fine  white  stuffs ;  upon  which  they  paid  him  great  compli- 
ments and  courtesies,  and  took  leave  of  him.  The  King 
also  made  demonstrations  of  much  affection  and  satisfaction. 
The  good  brothers  returned  to  the  ships  with  very  great 
satisfaction ;  and  two  days  later  the  King  sent  to  say  that 
they  should  send  for  the  letter,  which  was  now  finished. 
Upon  this  they  sent  Nicolas  Coelho  in  the  boat  very  well 
fitted  up  :  he  went  to  the  chamber  on  the  sea  where  the 
King  was,  and  took  with  him  the  broker  and  the  Melinde 

built  the  castle  of  Caiianor  and  dismantled  that  of  Ajigediva ;  the 
Moors  were  greatly  enraged  with  the  castle  of  Cananor."  Annaes  de 
iiciencias,  Lisbon,  1858. 


COELHO    VISITS    THE    KING    OP    CANANOR.  233 

pilot,  who  knew  the  language   of  the   country  very  well. 
The  King  delivered  the  letter  to  him  with  his  own  hand, 
again  repeating  the  words  of  his  oath,  and  swearing  besides 
by  his  pagodes,  which  are  their  idols,  which  they  adore  as 
gods,  that  he  would  fulfil  everything  till  his  death,  and  that 
when  he  died,  he  would  enjoin  it  likewise  upon  his  prince ; 
and  this  so  long  as  that  the  ships  came  to  his  port,  and 
took  in  cargo  of  what  was  to  be  found  in  his  country,  all 
which  he  would  give  them  of  a  good  quality,  and  for  the 
prices  which  it  was  worth  in  the  country,  and  also  he  would 
take  the  merchandise  which  they  gave  him ;  for  which  they 
would  establish  a  factory,  and  in  the  whole  of  his  country 
they  would  be  secure,  as  in  the  country  of  an  own  brother 
of  the  King  of  Portugal.     All  which  the  King  said  was  put 
down  in  the  letter ;  he  saw  that  Nicolas  Coelho  wished  to 
write  everything,  at  which  he  was  much  pleased,  and  com- 
manded the  letter  to  be  read,  and  Nicolas  Coelho  wrote. 
The  King  was  much  pleased  to   see  him  write,  and  the 
whole  translated.    Then  Coelho  gave  the  paper  to  the  King, 
who    signed   it   with   his    hand ;    and  the   gold  letter  was 
wrapped  up,  and  upon  it  was  put  the  paper  which  Nicolas 
Coelho  had  written.     The  King  gave  to  Nicolas  Coelho  two 
rings  and  some  fine  white  stuffs,  and  dismissed  him,  sending 
with  him  his  minister  to  go  and  deliver  the  letter  to  the 
captains,   to   do  them   greater  honour.      The  captains   re- 
ceived  him    with    great    respect    and    ceremony,    and    the 
minister  kissed  the  letter,  and  touched  his  eyes  with  it,  and 
placed   it   on   his   head,   and  then  gave  it  into   Paulo  da 
Gama's  hand,  who  took  it  with  both  hands  with  great  cour- 
tesy, and  placed  it  upon  his  breast.      They  gave  to  the 
minister  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  another  of  green  satin, 
and  they  again  sent  Nicolas  Coelho  on  shore  to  carry  a  pre- 
sent to  the  King  of  a  silver  hand-basin  and  a  chased  and 
gilt  ewer,  and  half  a  piece  of  brocade;  and  to  four  Nairs 
who  came  with  the  minister  they  gave  red  caps  and  knives 


23-i  GAMA  TAKES  LEAVE  OF  DAVANE. 

with  sheaths;  so  they  went  away  praising  our  people  highly. 
When  they  arrived  before  the  King,  who  was  still  in  the 
chamber,  and  Nicolas  Coelho  gave  him  the  present,  the 
King  and  his  people  were  much  surprised,  and  held  this  to 
be  great  liberality,  and  said  that  the  Portuguese  would  not 
do  such  things  unless  the  King  of  Portugal  possessed  great 
riches.  Then  the  King  commanded  the  minister  to  send  to 
the  ships  all  that  they  wanted  for  their  voyage  freely  for 
nothing,  for  which  purpose  he  ordered  the  broker  to  remain 
on  shore,  and  Nicolas  Coelho  went  back  to  the  ships.  They 
were  three  days  taking  on  board  the  things  they  wanted. 
When  about  to  sail,  they  dismissed  the  broker  and  gave 
him  a  document  signed  by  themselves,  in  which  they  de- 
clared to  all  the  captains  of  the  King  of  Portugal  that 
Davane  the  broker,  a  native  of  Cambay,  was  a  very  good 
and  sincere  friend,  who  had  always  gone  with  them  until 
their  departure,  and  they  had  always  found  in  him  much 
truth,  and  therefore  wherever  they  might  find  him  they 
were  always  to  do  him  great  honour,  wherever  they  met 
with  him,  whether  at  sea  or  in  the  country  in  which  they 
signed  this.  They  gave  him  a  hundred  cruzados  and  a 
hundred  testoons,  besides  all  that  was  due  to  him,  and  they 
gave  him  goods  which  were  worth  as  much  as  five  hundred 
cruzados,  and  pieces  of  silk  and  damask,  and  a  letter  in  the 
language  of  the  country,  which  the  pilot  spoke,  and  which 
specified  all  this,  and  which  the  broker  requested  to  have 
given  him.  They  also  gave  him  a  gold  portuguese,  and 
told  him  to  have  a  hole  bored  in  it,  and  always  to  wear  it 
hung  round  his  neck  as  a  remembrance,  because  that  coin 
was  called  a  portuguese,  and  was  money  of  the  King  of 
Portugal.  So  the  broker  remained  very  well  satisfied,  and 
the  captain-major  said  he  would  send  to  recommend  him 
highly  to  the  King  for  him  to  treat  him  with  honour;  and 
the  broker  asseverated  that  when  he  knew  of  Portuguese 
coming  to  India  he  would  go  and  seek  for  them  to  serve 


DEPARTURE  FROM  CANANOR.  235 

them ;  and  with  that  he  took  leave.  Whilst  they  were  thus 
on  the  point  of  departure,  two  paraos  came  from  the  shore 
for  each  ship,  laden  with  fowls  and  many  fresh  things, 
which  they  took  in;  and  by  a  Nair  who  brought  these 
things  they  sent  a  recommendation  of  the  broker  to  the 
King,  and  through  him  they  took  leave  of  the  King  with 
many  complimentary  speeches.  They  then  loosed  the  sails 
and  departed,  which  was  on  the  twentieth  of  November  of 
the  year  1498.1 

>  Camoens  represents  Garna  as  having  been  advised  by  the  Castilian 
Moor  to  leave  the  Indian  coast  before  the  arrival  of  the  great  Arab 
ships  from  the  Red  Sea. 

Canto  IX,  3. 
Gida  se  chama  o  porto,  aonde  o  trato 
De  todo  o  Roxo  mar  mais  florecia, 
De  que  tinha  proveito  grande,  e  grato 
O  Soldao,  que  esse  reino  possuia. 
Daqui  aos  Malabares,  por  contrato 
Dos  infieis,  fermosa  companhia 
De  grandes  naos  pelo  Indico  Oceano 
Especiaria  vem  buscar  cada  anno. 

4. 

Por  estas  ndos  os  Mouros  esperavUm, 
Que,  como  fossem  grandes  e  possantes, 
Aquellas,  que  o  commercio  Ihe  tomavam, 
Com  flammas  abrasassem  crepitantes  : 
Neste  soccorro  tanto  confiavam, 
Que  ja  nao  querem  mais  dos  navegantes, 
Senao  que  tanto  tempo  alii  tardassem, 
Que  da  famosa  Meca  as  naos  chegassem. 

5. 

Mas  o  Governador  dos  ceos,  e  gentes, 
Que,  para  quanto  tem  determinado, 
De  longe  os  meios  d£  convenientes, 
Por  onde  vem  a  effeito  o  fim  fadado ; 
Influio  piedosos  accidentes 
De  affeicjao  em  Mon^aide,  que  guardado 
Estava  para  dar  ao  Gama  aviso, 
E  merecer  por  isso  o  Paraiso. 


236  DEPARTUEE  FKOM  CANANOR. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

How  the  ships  departed  from  Cananor  and  crossing  over  to  Melinde 
met  with  calms,  and  put  in,  and  touched  at  the  island  of  Angediva : 
and  of  that  which  happened  to  them  there. 

The  good  brothers  having  set  sail  from  Cananor  made  their 
course  to  MeKnde^  and  having  got  away  from  the  coast  about 
forty  or  fifty  leagues^  the  wind  fell  and  they  remained  in  a 
dead  calm^  at  which  they  were  much  put  out.  Talking  of 
it  to  the  pilots^  they  said  that  it  was  not  yet  the  time  of  the 

6. 

Este,  de  quem  se  os  Mouros  nao  guardavam, 
Por  ser  Mouro,  como  elles,  antes  era 
Participaute  em  quanto  machinavam  ; 
A  tenc^ao  Ihe  descobre  torpe  e  fera  : 
Muitas  vezes  as  naos  que  longe  estavam 
Yisita,  e  com  piedade  considera 
O  dano,  sem  razao,  que  se  Ihe  ordeua 
Pela  maligna  gente  Sarracena  : 

7. 
Informa  o  cauto  Gama  das  armadas, 
Que  de  Arabica  Meca  vem  cada  anno, 
Que  agora  sao  dos  seus  tao  desejadas, 
Para  ser  instrumento  deste  dano  : 
Diz-lhe,  que  vem  de  gente  carregadas, 
E  dos  trovoes  horrendos  de  Vulcano, 
E  que  pode  ser  dellas  oprimido, 
Segundo  estava  mal  apercebido. 

3. 

Gidii  is  hight  the  harbour,  where  the  trade 
Of  the  Red  Sea  was  in  most  flourishing  way. 
Whereby  was  great  and  grateful  gain  conveyed 
To  the  Soldiin,  who  o'er  the  land  held  sway. 
Hence  to  the  Malabar s,  by  contract  made 
With  th'  Infidels,  a  beautiful  array 
Of  stalwart  vessels,  through  far  Indic  seas 
Came  seeking  every  year  their  spiceries. 


I; 


DEPARTURE  FROM  CANANOR.  237 

monsoon,  and  on  that  account  it  would  be  well  to  return  to 
land,  not  to  go  on  in  that  way  working  the  ships  and  ex- 
pending water.     The  captain-major  said  :  "  I  am  ashamed 
to  return  to  land,  which  is  the  act  of  people  who  do  not  !     y 
know  how  to  navigate."     The  pilot  said  :  "  We  will  not  re- 

4. 
And  for  this  squadron  did  the  Moors  await, 
That,  inasmuch  'twas  puissant,  and  'twas  dire, 
These,  who  had  'minished  their  commercial  state 
It  might-consume  with  crepitating  fire. 
Upon  such  succour  was  their  hope  so  great, 
That  from  the  stranger  nought  they  now  desire, 
Save  that  in  harbour  he  such  time  remain, 
Till  the  famed  Meca's  ships  the  coast  could  gain. 

5. 
But  He  who  rules  the  heavens  and  human  race, 
Who  for  whate'er  determined  hath  His  will. 
Convenient  means  from  distant  time  and  place, 
The  fated  end  disposeth  to  fulfil ; 
Inspired  with  accidents  of  ruth  and  grace 
The  Moor  Mougaide's  heart ;  who  prudent  still 
Stood  ever  prompt  the  Gama  to  advise, 
And  by  such  merit  conquer  Paradise. 

6. 
He,  whom  the  Moorish  clan  suspected  not, 
Being  like  them  a  Moorman,  but  designed 
Participant  in  every  knavish  plot 
Reveals  the  villain  treacheries  of  his  kind  : 
And  oft  the  squadron  which  was  moored  remote 
He  visits,  and  with  pity  calls  to  mind 
The  loss  all  reasonless  and  hapless  fate. 
Doomed  by  the  Saracens'  malignant  hate. 

7. 
He  warns  the  wary  Gama  of  th'  Armade 
From  the  Arabian  Meca  yearly  sent. 
Wherein  his  tribe  their  hope  of  vengeance  laid, 
That  it  might  be  their  hatred's  instrument : 
It  comes  with  soldiers  in  a  host,  he  said. 
And  horrid  bolts  which  Vulcan  did  invent ; 
And  to  their  power  he  must  fall  a  prey. 
Seeing  he  stands  unfurnished  for  the  fray. 

Captain  R.  Burton. 


238  ARRIVAL   AT    ANGEDIVA, 

turn  to  Cananor^  but  will  fetcli  the  first  land,  and  we  will  go 
and  stop  at  an  island  near  the  land,  which  has  a  good  port, 
in  which  there  is  good  water  and  wood,  sheltered  from  all 
winds,  where  we  shall  be  very  well,  until  we  have  the  mon- 
soon/^ ^      When  the  captains  heard  this  they  determined  to 

'  Barros  represents  Gama  as  touching  at  the  Islands  of  Anchediva. 
Camoens  does  not  mention  those  islands,  but  brings  the  Portuguese 
to  an  enchanted  island  which  Venus  provides  for  their  repose  and 
delight,  and  where  their  future  triumphs  in  Asia  are  foretold  to  them. 

Canto  IX,  51. 
Cortando  vao  as  naos  a  larga  via 
Do  mar  ingente,  para  a  patria  amada, 
Desejando  pro  verse  de  agoa  fria, 
Para  a  grande  viagem  prolongada  : 
Quando  juntas  com  subita  alegria 
Houverao  vista  da  Ilha  namorada, 
Rompendo  pello  ceo  a  may  fermosa 
De  Memnonio  suave,  e  deleitosa. 

52. 
De  longe  a  ILha  virao  fresca,  e  bella, 
Que  Venus  pellas  ondas  Iha  levava 
(Bern  como  o  vento  leva  branca  vella) 
Para  onde  a  forte  armada  se  enxergava  : 
Que  porque  nao  passassem  sem  que  nella 
Tomassem  porto,  como  desejava, 
Para  onde  aarnaos  navegao  a  movia 
A  Accidalia,  que  tudo  em  fim  podia. 

53. 
Mas  firme  a  fez,  e  immovel,  como  vio, 
Que  era  dos  nautas  vista,  e  demandada, 
Qual  ficou  Delos,  tanto  que  pario 
Latona  Febo,  e  a  deosa  i,  ca^a  usada. 

51. 

As  now  triumphant  to  their  native  shore 

Through  the  wide  deep  the  joyful  navy  bore, 

Earnest  the  pilot's  eyes  sought  cape  or  bay. 

For  long  was  yet  the  various  watery  way ; 

Sought  cape  or  isle  from  whence  their  boats  might  bring 

The  healthful  bounty  of  the  crystal  spring  : 

When  sudden,  all  in  nature's  pride  array'd. 

The  Isle  of  Love  its  glowing  breast  display 'd. 


ARRIVAL   AT   ANGEDIVA.  239 

put  into  port,  and  some  little  wind  arising  they  returned  to- 
wards the  land,  and  found  in  a  short  time  more  wind,  of 
which  there  was  none,  except  near  the  coast.  They  fetched 
the  land  and  ran  along  the  coast,  with  delays,  because  the 
wind  did  not  serve  for  the  island,  and  they  met  many  ships, 
which  were  sailing  to  all  parts,  and  the  pilots  said  that  they 
should  go  and  take  them,  because  they  carried  much  mer- 
chandise. The  captains  said :  ''  We  have  got  the  ships 
laden  with  what  we  came  to  seek ;  we  do  not  want  to  take 
other  men's  goods,  for  we  are  not  thieves.''  They  went  and 
put  in  at  Angediva,  where  they  enjoyed  themselves  much : 
there  were  good  water  springs,  and  there  was  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  island  a  tank  built  with  stone  with  very  good 
water  and  much  wood ;  there  they  remained  until  ten  days 
of  November  (?  December),  when  they  departed  on  their 
voyage  to  Melinde.  The  ships  remained  thus  at  this  island, 
in  which  there  were  no  inhabitants,  only  a  beggar-man, 
whom  they  call  joguedes,  of  whom  further  on  I  will  give  a 
long  account ;  this  man  lived  in  this  island  under  a  stone 
grotto,  and  he  ate  of  what  was  given  him  from  the  ships 
which  passed  by  there,  which  was  only  rice  and  dried  herbs, 
because  these  men  do  not  eat  anything  else.  Our  men 
were  much  on  shore  enjoying  themselves  and  looking  at  the 
manner  of  navigation  in  these  parts,  and  [observed]  that  the 

O'er  the  green  bosom  of  the  dewy  lawn 

Soft  blazing  flow'd  the  silver  of  the  dawn, 

The  gentle  waves  the  glowing  lustre  share, 

Arabia's  balm  was  sprinkled  o'er  the  air. 

Before  the  fleet,  to  catch  the  heroes'  view. 

The  floating  isle  fair  Acidalia  drew  ; 

Soon  as  the  floating  verdure  caught  their  sight. 

She  fixt,  unmov'd  the  island  of  delight. 

So  when  in  child-birth  of  her  Jove-sprung  load, 

The  sylvan  goddess  and  the  bowyer  god. 

In  friendly  pity  of  Latona's  woes, 

Amid  the  waves  the  Delian  isle  arose. 

Mickle. 


240  DESCRIPTION    OF    INDIAN    VESSELS. 

stips  had  not  got  more  than  one  large  mast,  and  two  ropes 
on  the  sides  and  one  at  the  prow  like  a  stay,  and  two  hal- 
liards which  come  down  to  the  stern  and  help  to  sustain  the 
mast;  and  the  rudder  is  very  large  and  of  thin  planks;  and 
on  the  outside  of  these  ships  they  have  ropes  on  either  side, 
with  which  they  haul  on  the  rudder  in  order  to  steer  the 
ship:  and  the  ship  is  undecked,  short,  and  with  few  ribs,  the 
planking  is  joined  and  sewn  together  with  coir  thread,  and 
very  strongly,  for  it  endures  all  the  strain  of  sailing ;  and 
the  planks  are  fastened  in  the  same  manner  to  the  ribs, 
sewn  with  the  same  coir,  and  they  remain  as  secure  as  if 
they  were  nailed.     There  are  other  ships  which  have  the 
planks  nailed  with  thin  nails  with  broad  heads,  riveted  in- 
side with  other  heads  fitted  on,  and  also  broad  :  and  they 
have  planks  as  high  as  up  to  where  they  put  cargo,  and 
from  that  point  upwards  they  have  cloths  very  thick,  more 
so   than   bed-sacking;  these    are  pitched  with  a  bitumen 
which  they  call  quil,  which  is  like  pitch,  which  they  boil 
with  cocoa-nut  oil  and  fish  oil ;  and  above  these  cloths  some 
cane  mats  of  the  length  of  the  ship,  woven  and  very  strong, 
and  they  are  a  defence  against  the  sea,  and  no  water  gets 
through  them.    Inside,  instead  of  decks,  they  have  chambers 
and  compartments  made  for  the  merchandise,  covered  with 
leaves,  the  leaves  of  the  palm  tree  dried  and  well  woven 
together ;  they  form  a  sort  of  shelving  roof  from  which  the 
water  runs  to  the  sides  of  the  ship,  and  the  rain-water  runs 
to  the  side  of  the  ship  and  goes  below  to  the  pump  without 
touching  the  goods,  which  are  carried  very  well  lodged  and 
stowed  in  their  compartments ;  and  above  this  covering  of 
palm  leaves  they  place  cane  mats  spread  over  it,  and  walk 
upon  them  without  doing  harm  to  the  chambers  beneath. 
Our  people  had  seen  all  this  in  the  port   of  Cananor,  in 
which  there  were  some  very  large  ships,  and  the  captains 
had  sent  the  sailors  to  see  them,  so  that  they  might  give  an 
account  of  everything  in  Portugal;  in  these  ships  they  have 


DESCRIPTION    OF    INDIAN    VESSELS.  241 

not  got  pumps,  only  some  buckets  of  thick  leather,  tanned 
in  such  a  way  that  they  last  very  long;  they  throw  out 
all  the  water  by  hand  labour :  they  call  these  buckets 
haldes}  Their  yards  have  two-thirds  of  their  length  abaft 
and  one-third  before  the  mast,  and  the  sail  is  longer  abaft 
than  forward  by  one-third ;  they  have  only  a  single  sheet 
{escota),  and  the  tack  of  the  sail  at  the  bow  is  made  fast  to  the 
end  of  a  sprit  almost  as  large  as  the  mast,  with  which  they 
bring  the  sail  very  forward,  so  that  they  steer  very  close 
to  the  wind,  and  set  the  sails  very  flat.  They  do  not 
pitch  the  ships  as  we  do,  they  only  put  bitumen  of  quil^ 
in  the  seams,  and  grease  them  with  fish  oil,  which  sticks  like 
tallow  grease ;  this  they  do  inboard  as  well  as  outside,  so 
that  the  vessels  are  very  watertight,  and  sail  for  the  seven 
months  that  the  summer  lasts.  They  have  no  tops,  nor 
have  they  more  than  the  one  large  sail.  They  carry  their 
water  in  tanks,  which  are  made  after  the  fashion  which  I 
have  already  mentioned,  square  and  high.  Their  planks 
are  also  sewn  with  coir  and  rattans  outside,  and  are  very 
strong  inside,  and  resist  the  weight  of  the  water;  they  are 
pitched  inside  also,  and  are  very  watertight  and  roomy,  so 
that  they  carry  thirty  or  forty  pipes  of  water.  The  ships 
,which  are  thus  sewn  with  coir  have  keels,  and  those  fastened 
with  nails  have  not,  but  are  flat-bottomed.  Their  anchors 
are  of  hard  wood,  and  they  fasten  stones  to  the  shanks  so 
that  they  are  heavy  and  go  to  the  bottom ;  they  have  also 
got  other  anchors  of  stone  and  iron  which  have  wooden 
arms,  and  which  also  hold  well.  They  carry  their  rudders 
fastened  to  the  ships  with  ropes  passed  outside.  The  crew 
are  lodged  above,  and  no  one  has  quarters  below  where  the 

1  This  is  a  Portuguese,  not  a  Malabar  word :  halde  is  a  bucket,  and 
a  shovel ;  baldear  is  to  pour  out,  to  discharge  from  one  ship  to  another, 
to  bale. 

2  Kil,  pitch,  Malabar,  or  Tamil  word. 


242  DESCRIPTION    OP    INDIAN    VESSELS. 

mercliandise  is  stowed.  I  have  given  this  description  of 
these  ships  of  the  coast  of  India  as  it  seemed  natural  here. 
They  never  put  their  boats  inside  the  ships,  except  in  the 
case  of  the  ships  which  cross  over  from  India  to  the  straits 
of  Mekka.  The  Portuguese  ships  remained  thus  at  Ange- 
diva,  which  is  a  league  off  from  the  mainland,  and  near 
there  was  a  river  which  is  named  Cincatora,^  from  which 
Indian  boats  came  out  to  fish ;  these  went  a  long  way 
off  from  the  ships  from  fear,  on  which  account  our  men 
could  not  get  to  speak  to  them  to  give  them  confidence,  and 
to  get  fish  from  them,  which  they  wanted  very  much,  for 
they  could  catch  none  where  they  were,  and -the  Portuguese 
in  their  boats  could  not  overtake  them  because  they  went 
very  fast  with  sails  and  oars.  The  ships  which  passed  by 
came  to  the  island  to  take  in  wood  and  water ;  and  as  the 
island  contained  a  bay,  within  which  the  Portuguese  ships 
lay,  the  ships  that  came  from  outside  did  not  see  them,  ex- 
cept when  they  came  upon  them  suddenly.  On  those  occa- 
sions our  people  saw  well  the  sails  of  those  ships,  which 
have  not  got  small  sails,  but  within  the  seams  of  the  sail 
they  put  thin  cords  running  from  top  to  bottom,  which 
make  the  sail  very  strong ;  and  to  each  of  these  cords  they 
splice  on  outside  the  sail  other  cords  of  half  a  fathom  long, 
one  end  outside,  the  other  inside  the  sail,  with  a  fathom  be- 
tween each,  and  this  in  very  good  order  as  far  as  half  of 
the  sail;  and  when  there  is  much  wind,  with  these  ties 
they  roll  up  and  tie  up  the  sail  underneath,  so  that  they 
make  the  sail  as  small  as  they  wish.^  When  they  have  to 
stand  on  a  fresh  tack,  they  lower  the  sail  half  way  down  the 

'  Perhaps  the  fortress  of  Cintacola,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Aliga, 
which  separates  the  kingdom  of  Decani  of  the  Sabayo  from  tlie  kingdom 
of  Xarsinga,  which  fortress  belonged  to  the  Sabayo.  See  East  Coasts  of 
Africa  and  Malabar,  p.  78. 

2  From  this  elaborate  description  of  reefing  a  sail,  it  would  appear 
that  this  practice  was  till  then  unknown  in  Europe. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF    THE  PORTUGUESE  AT  ANGEDIVA.    243 

mastj  and  with  a  rope,  wliicli  is  rigged  from  the  yard  to  the 
poop,  they  haul  upon  the  yard  until  they  bring  it  even  with 
the  mast  and  pass  the  rope  to  the  other  side,  and  so  bring 
the  yard  over  to  the  other  side  :  in  going  to  windward  they 
fasten  the  sheet  to  the  tack  of  the  sail  and  haul  it  for- 
ward as  much  as  they  wish  to  go  upon  a  bowline ;  and  this 
is  their  art  of  navigation  and  way  of  handling  their  sails. 
The  ships  which  came  in  to  the  island,  surprised  at  seeing 
our  ships,  tried  to  take  the  offing,  which  they  were  unable 
to  do  so  quickly  that  the  Portuguese  boats  could  not  first 
reach  them,  in  which  the  Moorish  pilot  went  and. spoke  to 
them,  and  gave  them  security;  upon  which  they  used  to 
anchor,  and  the  captain-major  sent  at  once  to  bring  back  the 
crews  who  were  on  shore,  and  sent  to  tell  the  Moors  that 
they  might  go,  and  welcome,  on  shore  and  no  one  would  do 
them  any  harm ;  and  they,  having  thus  gained  confidence, 
went  on  shore  to  wash,  and  fetch  water  and  wood,  which  each 
merchant  and  passenger  brings  to  his  quarters,  because  the 
captain  of  the  ship  gives  wood  and  water  to  the  mariners, 
and  provisions  are  given  by  money  payments  and  each  man 
carries  what  he  buys  for  the  voyage.  These  Moors  seeing 
that  the  Portuguese  were  so  peaceable  with  them  in  their 
boats,  used  to  come  and  see  the  captains,  and  brought  them 
fowls,  figs,  and  cocoa-nuts,  for  which  they  gave  them  many 
thanks,  and  caps,  and  knives,  and  they  complained  of  not 
being  able  to  communicate  with  the  Indian  boats  about  their 
fish,  which  they  wished  to  buy  and  pay  well  for.  Then  the 
Moors  sent  their  boats  to  the  Indian  boats  and  spoke  to 
them,  and  made  them  lose  their  fears,  and  they  brought  them 
to  our  ships,  where  they  bought  their  fish,  and  paid  for  it 
with  vintins  and  half  vintins  of  silver,  so  rnuch  to  their 
satisfaction  that  they  gained  confidence,  and  many  always 
came  to  the  ships  to  sell  their  fish.  As  they  found  good  pay 
they  used  to  bring  fowls,  figs,  rice,  and  many  other  articles 
of  food  from  the  main  land,  and  stuffs  and  other  things,  so 


244  ACCOUNT   GIVEN    BY    BARROS    OP    THE 

that  they  became  great  friends  with  our  men  from  the  large 
profits  they  made ;  and  they  used  to  come  from  the  sea  with 
great  haste  to  see  who  would  get  first  to  sell  his  fish.  Whilst 
our  ships  remained  in  this  way  at  Angediva,  the  news  of  it 
ran  through  the  country  and  reached  Goa,^  which  is  twelve 

'  Barros  relates  that  Vasco  da  Gama  had  sent  a  landmark  named  S. 
Gabriel  through  Diogo  Dias  to  the  Zamorin,  but  that  it  was  not  likely 
that  it  would  be  left  many  hours  standing,  so  on  leaving  Calecut  he 
went  to  some  small  islands  close  to  the  coast  to  set  up  another  landmark ; 
and  these  islands,  which  are  between  Bacanor  and  Baticala,  are  now 
named  Santa  Maria,  after  the  landmark  which  he  set  up  there.  Having 
done  this,  and  wishing  to  heel  over  and  clean  his  ships,  at  the  suggestion 
of  the  people  of  the  country  he  went  to  some  other  islands  called  Ange- 
diva  or  Anchediva,  from  anche  five  and  diva  islands,  since  there  are  five 
of  them,  and  one  is  notable  on  account  of  a  fortress  which  King  Manuel 
caused  to  be  built  there.  Whilst  Gama  was  refitting  his  ships  and  taking 
in  water,  as  it  was  the  best  along  the  coast,  and  all  the  ships  that  navi- 
gate in  these  parts  used  to  come  here  for  it,  there  came  to  him  a  corsair 
named  Timoja,  who  later  was  a  great  friend  of  the  Portuguese.  He, 
hearing  of  the  Portuguese  ships,  came  out  of  a  place  where  he  lived, 
named  Onor,  near  there,  and  as  he  was  an  astute  man  he  attempted  to 
attack  the  Portuguese  by  stratagem,  and  joined  together  eight  rowing 
vessels  covered  with  branches,  so  that  they  appeared  like  a  large  raft. 
When  Gama  saw  this  raft  approaching  from  the  coast,  he  inquired 
of  the  Indians,  who  were  going  about  familiarly  with  the  Portuguese, 
what  the  thing  he  saw  was.  They  replied  that  it  was  the  inven- 
tion of  a  corsair  who  used  to  attack  the  ships  that  passed  by  there. 
Vasco  da  Gama  ordered  his  brother  and  Nicolas  Coelho  before  Timoja 
came  up  to  go  and  discharge  their  artillery  at  him,  which  they  did  in 
such  manner  that  the  vessels  separated  and  made  for  the  coast ;  during 
their  flight  Nicolas  Coelho  captured  one  of  them,  in  which  they  found 
some  rice  and  other  meagre  provisions  of  the  country.  After  this  event, 
another  occurred,  for  the  country  was  full  of  the  news  of  the  Portuguese 
abiding  in  these  islands,  which  was  as  follows.  A  Moorish  ruler  named 
Sabayo,  to  whom  belonged  a  city  named  Goa,  which  was  twelve  leagues 
from  the  Anchediva  Islands,  had  with  him  many  Arabs,  Parsees,  Turks, 
and  some  Levantine  renegades,  with  whose  assistance  he  had  acquired 
great  state ;  when  he  heard  of  the  Portuguese  ships,  he  desired  to  have 
more  information  about  them,  and  summoned  a  Jew,  a  native  of  Poland, 
who  served  him  as  Shahbender  (captain  of  the  port),  and  asked  him  if 
he  knew  to  what  nation  they  belonged.  The  Jew  replied  that  he  knew 
that  they  were  Portuguese,  who  dwelt  in  the  extreme  parts  of  Christen- 


PROCEEDINGS    OF    TEE    PORTUGUESE    AT    ANGEDIVA.         2  45 

leagues  thence,  the  King  of  the  place  was  a  Moor  named  Sa- 
bayo,  who  was  the  lord  of  many  countries  and  people.    As  this 

dom,  warlike  people,  enduring  hardships,  and  that  the  Sabayo  should 
attempt  to  get  them  into  his  service,  as  with  such  men  he  might  make 
great  conquests.  As  the  Sabayo  used  to  endeavour  to  obtain  the  services 
of  warlike  people,  he  ordered  the  Jew  to  go  to  them  and  approach  them 
on  his  part  with  a  favourable  offer ;  and  if  they  would  not  accept,  he 
would  send  three  or  four  armed  vessels  to  back  him,  and  on  his  sending 
them  word,  they  should  attack  the  Portuguese ;  and  that  he  should  go 
at  once,  and  the  ships  would  follow.  The  Jew  started  with  that  under- 
standing, and  came  in  a  small  boat  to  the  land,  and  ascended  a  small 
hill  over  above  the  Portuguese  ships,  and  there  began  to  shout  that  he 
wished  to  speak  to  the  captain,  and  that  they  should  give  him  a  safe 
conduct  by  that  sign,  showing  at  the  same  time  a  wooden  cross.  When 
Vasco  da  Gama  saw  the  cross  he  reverenced  it  in  his  heart,  saying  to 
himself  that  under  that  sign  of  his  redemption  he  did  not  expect  deceit 
or  injury;  and  turning  to  the  heathen  who  were  with  him,  he  asked  them 
if  they  knew  the  man  who  was  shouting.  They,  as  they  were  pleased  at 
the  good  which  had  been  done  them,  said  :  "  Sir,  do  not  trust  that  man, 
because  he  is  a  soldier  of  a  city  named  Goa,  which  is  near  here  ;  and  as 
he  is  a  Moor,  people  with  whom  you  are  at  enmity,  perhaps  he  comes 
with  some  deceit."  When  Vasco  da  Gama  got  this  information,  he 
ordered  an  answer  to  be  given,  that  if  he  wanted  anything  and  was  a 
safe  man,  that  he  gave  him  a  safe  conduct.  Upon  which  the  Jew  re- 
plied that  he  came  with  much  sincerity,  and  that  trusting  to  him  he  con- 
fided himself  into  his  power.  With  which  words  he  came  down  and 
came  to  Vasco  da  Gama,  showing  much  confidence,  like  one  who  had 
nothing  else  in  his  breast ;  but  Vasco  da  Gama  discovered  it  at  once  by 
ordering  him  to  be  tortured.  When  the  Jew  found  himself  in  that 
state  he  began  to  beg  them  for  the  love  of  God  not  to  torture  him,  and 
he  would  tell  the  whole  truth  of  his  coming ;  and  that  before  coming  to 
that  point  he  would  relate  the  beginning  of  his  birth  and  life,  from 
which,  and  from  what  he  now  felt  with  respect  to  their  arrival  in  these 
parts,  it  seemed  to  him  that  it  was  not  only  for  his  salvation,  but  also 
for  that  of  so  many  thousand  souls,  as  there  were  of  the  heathen  in  those 
parts,  because  it  was  not  in  reason  that  men  so  western  as  were  the 
Portuguese  people,  who  lived  at  the  end  of  the  earth  should  come  to  the 
east  Jjy  so  great  a  distance  over  seas  and  unknown  tracks,  unless  for 
some  great  mystery,  which  God  intended  to  work  by  means  of  them. 
Then  he  began  to  relate  the  beginning  of  his  life,  saying  that  in  the 
year  of  Christ  1450,  the  King  of  Poland  had  ordered  a  proclamation  to 
be  made  throughout  his  kingdom,  commanding  all  the  Jews  witliin  it 
to  become  Christians  within  thirty  days,  or  to  go  out  of  his  kingdom, 


246    PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE  AT  ANGEDIVA. 

city  was  the  principal  seaport,  with  a  large  river  which  formed 
an  island  in  which  the  town  was  situated,  which  was  a  place 

and  that  after  this  limit  of  time  had  elapsed,  whoever  were  found  should 
be  burned.  This  was  the  cause  of  the  greater  part  of  the  Jews  going 
out  of  the  kingdom  to  divers  parts,  and  in  this  emigration  were  his  father 
and  his  mother,  who  were  dwellers  in  a  city  called  Bosna;  these  came  to 
Jerusalem,  and  from  thence  passed  on  to  the  city  of  Alexandria,  where 
he  was  born  ;  and  after  that  he  had  grown  up,  after  wandering  about  in 
many  parts,  he  had  come  to  those  of  India,  into  the  service  of  the 
Sabayo,  the  ruler  of  Goa,  by  whose  order  he  had  come  here  to  call  upon 
Vasco  da  Gama  and  his  men  to  enter  his  service  and  pay,  as  there  were 
several  Levantines  there  with  him ;  and  that  the  Sabayo  had  formed 
this  desire  because  he  had  vaunted  the  Portuguese  nation  ;  and  this  was 
the  true  cause  of  his  coming,  and  he  begged  him  not  to  do  him  any  in- 
jury, and  to  be  pleased  to  receive  him  as  Christian  people  are  accus- 
tomed to  receive  those  who  come  to  be  baptised,  since  he  wished  to 
accept  it,  and  to  die  in  the  Christian  faith.  When  Vasco  da  Gama  saw 
in  this,  and  in  other  conversations  which  he  had  with  him,  that  he  was  a 
man  of  experience,  and  that  he  gave  many  details  about  the  affairs  of 
those  parts,  he  began  to  console  him,  and  to  tell  him  not  to  vex  himself 
about  the  son  and  property  which  he  said  he  had  left  in  Goa,  because 
the  King  his  sovereign,  if  so  be  he  should  by  the  help  of  God  arrive  in 
Portugal,  would  at  once  send  a  large  fleet  to  these  parts,  with  which  he 
would  return,  in  which  voyage  the  Jew  would  be  able  to  regain  his  son, 
and  much  more  property  than  what  he  left  in  Goa  by  the  favour  of  the 
King  of  Portugal.  Finally  he  was  baptised,  and  named  Gaspar,  taking 
as  surname  Gama,  on  account  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  who  brought  him  to 
that  state  ;  and  by  his  advice  the  next  day,  before  the  ships  which  the 
Sabayo  was  to  send  could  arrive,  Vasco  da  Gama,  being  now  ready,  set 
sail,  crossing  the  great  gulf  between  India  and  Africa.  During  this 
passage  many  of  the  crew  fell  sick  and  died,  by  reason  of  the  many 
calms.  The  first  land  which  he  made  was  below  the  city  of  Magadaxo, 
situated  on  the  open  coast;  he  passed  by  it  without  stopping  longer  than 
to  discharge  his  artillery  at  it,  for  seeing  by  the  show  of  its  edifices  that 
it  was  an  important  place,  he  did  not  choose  to  gain  more  experience  of 
the  sincerity  of  the  ISIoors  of  that  coast.  But  he  could  not  go  away 
without  some  encounter  with  them,  for  having  advanced  further  on  to 
another  city  named  Pat6,  there  came  out  seven  or  eight  well  armed  sam- 
buks  with  the  intention  of  attacking  hhn,  but  he  made  such  discharges 
of  artillery  against  them  that  they  did  not  choose  to  follow  him  further. 
On  arriving  at  JNIelinde  he  was  received  by  the  King  with  much  plea- 
sure, who  treated  the  sick  men  with  refreshments  from  the  shore,  but 
several  were  buried  during  the  five  days  that  he  remained  there,  in 


GEANADINE    JEW    IN    THE    SERVICE    OF    GOA.  247 

of  great  trade,  it  kept  at  sea  a  fleet  of  swift  vessels,  with 
wWcli  tliey  used  to  make  the  ships  which  passed  by  come 
into  their  port  to  pay  them  their  dues.  This  Sabayo,  hear- 
ing that  our  ships  were  at  Angediva,  and  it  was  also  related 
to  him  by  the  ships  and  sambuks  which  passed  by  Angediva, 
that  the  Portuguese  did  no  harm  to  any  one,  desired  to  learn 
about  the  ships,  and  he  called  a  G  ranadine  Jew,  who  was  his 
captain-major  at  sea,  and  he  spoke  to  him  about  our  ships. 
This  Jew,  at  the  taking  of  Granada,^  was  a  very  young  man, 
and  having  been  driven  from  his  country  he  passed  through 
many  lands  until  he  came  to  Turkey,  and  went  to  Mekkah, 
from  whence  he  passed  on  to  India  and  established  his  abode 
with  this  Sabayo,  who,  finding  him  to  be  a  valiant  man  in 
naval  warfare,  made  him  captain-major  of  his  fleet.  When 
the  Sabayo  talked  to  him  about  the  ships  the  Jew  offered  to 
go  and  see  them,  and,  if  he  could,  to  communicate  with  them 
as  they  could  not  do  him  any  harm,  for  he  would  go  in  a 
swift  vessel  with  sails  and  oars,  and  it  might  be  that  he 
should  find  the  ships  in  such  a  condition  that  he  might  be 


such  a  condition  were  they.  Setting  sail  again,  on  reaching  the  shoals 
where  the  ship  San  Rafael  had  struck  (as  we  have  before  related), 
it  struck  again,  and  remained  there  for  ever  :  this  did  not  cause  much 
vexation  to  Gama,  as  so  many  of  his  crews  had  died  that  he  could  not 
navigate  three  ships,  and  even  for  two  there  were  few,  these  men 
were  divided  among  the  two  ships  (Osorio  says  Gama  burned  Paulo's 
ship  at  Melinde).  They  reached  the  isles  of  S.  Jorge  in  front  of  Mozam- 
bique on  the  day  of  the  Purification  (February  2nd),  and  heard  a  mass 
there,  and  another  at  the  watering  place  of  S.  Bras,  and  on  the  20th  of 
March  (Osorio  says  26th  of  April)  doubled  the  Cape,  when  the  crews 
began  to  recover  their  health. 

'  Osorius  calls  him  a  Sarmate  by  nation  and  Jew  by  religion  ;  Barros 
says  a  Polish  Jew  ;  Castanheda  says  he  announced  himself  as  a  Levan- 
tine Christian,  and  that  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  leagues  from 
Anchediva  he  confessed  he  was  a  Lloor,  and  later  he  was  converted,  and 
it  was  said  afterwards  that  he  was  a  Jew,  because  it  was  found  that  he 
was  married  to  a  Jewess  who  lived  in  Cochim.  Correa's  account  is  the 
most  i3robable. 


248       PLANS  OP  THE  RULER  OF  QOA  AGAINST  THE  PORTUGUESE. 

able  to  bring  them  to  Goa,  for  he  had  already  been  informed 
about  these  ships  going  about  at  Calecut  and  on  the  Malabar 
coast.  So  he  got  ready  to  start  in  a  small  fusta  with  rowers, 
and  took  with  him  eight  large  armed  fustas  with  men  to  fight 
with  the  Portuguese  ships  if  that  should  be  suitable.  He  was 
an  old  man,  quite  white,  of  large  stature,  and  full  beard.  He 
came  with  his  fustas,  and  arrived  by  night,  in  order  not  to  be 
seen  by  the  ships,  and  posted  the  fustas  amongst  the  islets 
which  were  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  Cintacola,  which  was 
at  the  distance  of  half  a  league  from  the  ships,  where  they 
could  very  well  remain  without  being  seen  by  the  ships.  As 
it  was  a  dark  night  he  got  into  an  Indian  boat  with  rowers, 
and  went  silently  to  the  ships  and  saw  them  from  a  distance, 
and  knew  that  they  were  ships  from  Spain,  and  upon  that 
he  returned  to  the  fustas.  When  it  was  morning  he  got 
into  a  small  fusta  well  manned  with  rowers,  which  went  very 
swiftly  with  sails  and  oars,  and  went  to  the  ships  with  the 
determination  to  go  on  board  of  them  with  some  feigned 
pretext,  and  see  what  crews  they  had,  and  if  he  found  a  con- 
venient opportunity  to  take  them  by  some  stratagem,  and  if 
not,  then  he  would  see  if  he  could  burn  them  and  get  any 
plunder  from  them,  or  else  he  would  return  to  Goa  to  fetch 
a  fleet  with  which  to  capture  them.  He  trusted  to  his  small 
fusta,  which  the  boats  could  not  overtake  even  if  they  came 
in  pursuit  of  it ;  and  with  this  idea  he  went  to  the  ships. 
When  this  Jew  arrived  at  the  islets  with  the  fustas  he  had 
been  seen  by  the  fishermen  who  went  out  to  sea,  and  they 
saw  that  the  fustas  had  concealed  themselves  amongst  the 
islets,  and  they  knew  that  they  belonged  to  Goa  and  went 
to  sea  to  plunder.  The  fishermen,  as  they  were  very  friendly 
with  the  Portuguese,  who  lived  in  good  fellowship  with  them, 
and  hoping  that  on  that  account  the  Portuguese  would  make 
them  a  present,  came  to  the  ships  with  great  haste  and  gave 
them  notice  of  all  that  they  perceived,  and  that  the  fustas 
were  not  in  that  place  except  for  the  purpose  of  doing  some 


THE  GRANADINE  JEW  COMES  ON  BOARD  GAMA's  SHIP.       249 

mischief.  The  captain-major  gave  them  good  pay  for  this, 
and  they  went  away  much  pleased.  The  captains  then  got 
ready  their  artillery,  and  took  all  the  measures  which  were 
fitting,  and  watched  well  all  the  night,  but  they  did  not  see 
the  Indian  boat  in  which  the  Jew  came  to  see  the  ships. 
When  it  dawned  the  Jew  came  in  his  small  fusta,  and  did  as 
though  he  wei-e  passing  by  to  some  other  part  and  saw  the 
ships  that  had  put  in ;  so  when  he  had  come  near  he  took 
in  his  sail,  and  with  the  oars  approached  the  ships  which 
were  both  close  together.  When  he  was  near  their  sterns 
within  hearing,  he  hailed  the  ships  in  Castilian,  saying, 
"  God  preserve  the  ships  and  the  Christian  captains,  and  the 
crews  who  sail  with  them ;"  and  the  rowers  gave  a  shout, 
which  was  answered  from  the  ships  with  the  trumpets.  All 
the  crews  were  much  excited  and  pleased  at  hearing  the 
Castilian  language ;  and  the  Jew,  coming  up  nearer,  said, 
"  Gentlemen,  captains,  give  me  a  safe  conduct  and  I  will 
come  on  board  of  your  ships  to  learn  the  news  of  my  country, 
and  from  me  you  also  may  learn  whatever  you  please,  since 
God  has  brought  you  hither  for  your  good  and  for  mine ;  for 
Tt  is  now  forty  years  that  I  have  been  a  captive,  and  now 
God  has  shown  me  ships  from  Spain,  which  is  my  country, 
therefore  may  it  be  your  pleasure  to  give  me  the  safe  con- 
duct which  I  request,  for  without  it  I  should  not  dare  to 
come  on  board."  They  answered  him  from  the  ship  that  he 
might  safely  come  on  board  with  peace,  and  that  they  would 
do  him  all  honour,  because  they  much  rejoiced  at  hearing 
him  speak,  and  that  in  the  ships  there  was  no  one  who  would 
do  harm  to  anybody.  The  Jew,  trusting  to  these  words, 
approached  and  came  on  board,  and  they  received  and  wel- 
comed him,  and  bade  him  sit  down,  and  questioned  him  as 
to  the  country  he  came  from,  and  how  it  was  that  he  was  at 
such  distance  from  his  native  land,  and  many  other  things 
which  the  Jew  answered ;  and  the  captains  showed  that  they 
were  much  pleased  to  hear  him.     Of  the  rowers  of  the  small 


250  GAMA    SEIZES    THE    GRANADINE    JEW. 

fusta  several  also  came  on  board^  and  were  mucli  surprised 
at  what  they  saw^  and  in  great  security  as  they  saw  tlieir 
captain  sitting  down  thus  and  conversing  with  so  much 
satisfaction.  The  captain-major  ordered  Nicolas  Coelho  to 
be  called  to  come  and  see  the  new  guest  who  had  come  to 
visit  them.  Nicolas  Coelho  came  to  the  ship  in  his  boat  with 
a  few  meUj  and  as  he  approached  the  ship  the  captain-major 
ordered  him  to  come  alongside  on  the  side  where  the  fusta 
was,  and  when  they  arrived  to  board  the  fusta.  The  captain- 
major  then  rose  up  and  at  once  ordered  the  Jew  to  be  bound 
by  men  who  were  ready  for  that  purpose ;  and  on  seeing 
that,  the  sailors  of  the  fusta  threw  themselves  into  the  sea, 
and  the  boat  came  up  and  gathered  them  all  in  so  that  none 
escaped.  The  Jew,  seeing  himself  bound  in  that  manner, 
said,  "  Oh,  gentlemen,  noble  Christians,  God  protect  me  and 
you  j  for  having  trusted  myself  to  your  words  I  am  now 
bound  hand  and  foot."  The  captain-major  answered  him, 
"  Jew,  it  was  with  treachery  that  you  asked  for  a  safe  con- 
duct, and  on  that  account  it  shall  not  avail  you."  Then  they 
put  heavy  irons  upon  his  feet,  and  sent  all  the  rowers  down 
below  decks.  Afterwards  the  captain-major  ordered  the  Jew 
to  be  stripped,  and  two  ship-boys  to  give  him  many  stripes 
with  cords  ;  and  he  said  to  the  Jew  that  he  well  knew  of  the 
treachery  with  which  he  had  come  with  the  fustas  which 
were  concealed  amongst  the  islets,  and  therefore  he  swore, 
by  the  life  of  the  King  of  Portugal  his  sovereign,  that  he 
would  put  him  to  death  by  flogging  and  torturing  him  with 
drops  of  hot  fat,  until  he  confessed  the  truth  out  of  his 
mouth.  The  Jew,  finding  himself  in  such  straits,  and  that 
he  was  already  questioned  about  the  fustas  which  were  at 
the  islets,  said,  "  Sir,  I  confess  that  I  am  worthy  of  death, 
but  have  pity  on  me  and  on  this  white  beard,  and  I  will  tell 
you  the  whole  truth."  Then  the  captain-major  ordered  him 
to  be  unbound  and  dressed,  and  he  related  all  that  I  have 
mentioned  above.     Then  the  captain-major  took  great  oaths 


THE    POETUGUESE    CAPTURE    THE    GOA    ROW-BOATS.         251 

that  if  lie  did  not  deliver  up  to  him  the  fustas  which  were  in 
the  islets,  he  would  have  him  flayed  alive.  The  Jew  replied, 
"  Sir,  command  me,  and  if  I  do  not  do  it  I  am  in  your  power." 
Then  the  boats  were  sent  well  manned,  with  their  swivel 
guns  and  many  pots  of  powder  all  prepared ;  there  were 
twenty  men  in  each  boat  with  the  best  arms  that  could  be 
provided ;  and  the  captain-major  went  in  the  small  fusta, 
taking  the  Jew  with  him  in  irons  and  his  hands  tied  behind 
him,  and  the  pilots  and  masters  went  in  the  boats.  They 
went  at  night,  when  it  was  quite  dark,  for  the  moon  set  before 
the  morning;  and  Vasco  da  Gama  told  the  Jew  to  speak  to  his 
men  on  arriving  at  the  fustas  in  such  manner  that  they 
should  not  be  alarmed,  nor  get  ready  to  fight,  because  the 
first  thing  after  that  would  be  his  being  killed.  The  Jew 
said,  "  Sir,  I  will  endeavour  to  save  myself  from  death." 
They  went  and  reached  the  fustas  before  morning,  and  all 
were  asleep  taking  their  rest.  The  light  fusta  went  a  little 
in  front,  and  the  boats  a  little  astern  and  at  a  distance  from 
it,  which  being  heard  by  the  people  of  the  fustas  who  kept 
watch,  they  asked  who  was  coming.  To  which  the  Jew  re- 
plied in  their  own  language,  "  It  is  I,  and  I  am  bringing 
with  me  some  relations."  Upon  which  he  entered  amongst 
the  fustas,  and  the  ships'  boats,  carrying  their  matches  con- 
cealed, came  to  the  outer  side  of  the  fustas ;  when  the 
captain-major  reached  them  he  gave  a  shout  which  they 
heard,  crying  out,  Santiago,  Sam  Jorge;  at  which  the  boats 
gave  a  shout  and  fired  their  guns,  and  the  Portuguese 
boarded  the  fustas  with  their  powder-jars  lit,  which  they 
threw  amongst  the  rowers,  who  were  all  asleep ;  so  that 
the  whole  of  them  sprung  into  the  sea.  As  the  fighting  men 
were  few  in  number,  and  flustered  with  being  so  suddenly 
roused  from  sleep,  there  was  no  one  who  fought  or  defended 
himself,  since  it  seemed  that  the  fustas  were  entirely  on  fire 
with  the  flames  from  the  powder-pots.  As  all  the  fustas 
were  together  our  men  over-ran  them  all,  until  not  one  black 


252  CAPTURE  OF  THE  GOA  ROW  BOATS. 

roan  remaiBed  in  them;  and  all  were  swimming  about  in 
the  sea  and  taking  refuge  in  the  islets;  during  which 
time  it  dawned.  But  the  captain-major,  with  the  light 
fusta  and  the  ships'  boats  was  going  about  the  sea  killing 
them  all,  and  they  went  to  kill  as  many  as  were  in  the  islets, 
for  they  spared  the  life  of  nobody.  They  then  took  the 
fustas  in  tow  made  fast  to  the  boats  and  light  fusta,  and  so 
returned  to  the  ships  with  great  delight,  and  the  ships 
hailed  them  in  return  with  shouts  and  trumpeting.  They 
found  rice  and  cocoa-nuts  in  the  fustas,  and  some  dried  fish 
which  formed  their  provisions ;  the  fustas  contained  some 
small  guns  and  cannon  {roqueiras) ,  which  the  Portuguese 
threw  into  the  sea,  and  the  weapons  were  javelins  (zagunchos) 
and  long  swords  and  large  bucklers  made  of  boards  covered 
with  hides  sewn  with  sinews,  and  very  light  and  long  bows,  like 
English  bows,  with  cane  arrows  with  long  broad  iron  points. 
The  Portuguese  took  from  the  fustas  whatever  they  wanted, 
and  broke  up  some  of  them  for  wood.  The  Indian  fishing- 
boats  came  up,  and  the  Portuguese  captains  told  them  to 
take  the  fustas  away  with  them,  but  they  would  not  do  it, 
but  each  one  carried  away  what  he  pleased,  and  they  divided 
the  sails  into  pieces  and  took  them  for  their  fishing-boats. 
Then  the  Portuguese  selected  from  amongst  the  captive 
rowers  some  of  the  best  men  for  the  service  of  the  pumps, 
twelve  for  each  ship,  and  they  killed  the  others  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  fishermen,  because  they  knew  of  the  treachery 
with  which  they  had  come.  The  Jew  was  much  alarmed, 
and  expected  that  when  the  others  had  all  been  made  an  end 
of,  he  would  be  the  last  to  receive  more  severe  punishment, 
but  the  captain-major  ordered  him  to  be  put  below  the  deck. 
As  he  had  already  taken  in  water,  and  it  was  the  season  of 
the  monsoon,^  and  the  pilots  said  that  they  ought  to  depart, 

'  Camoens,  Canto  x,  143. 
Podeisvos  embarcar,  que  tendes  vento, 
E  mar  tranquilo  para  a  patria  aniada : 
Assi  Ihe  dissc,  e  logo  movimento 


DEPARTURE  FROM  ANGEulVA,  253 

they  set  sail,  crossing  over  the  great  gulf  and  making  their 
course  for  Melinde ;  which  they  did  with  good  weather  and 
without  misfortune,  and  arrived  at  Melinde  on  the  eighth  of 
January  of  the  year  1499.^    / 


CHAPTER   XX. 

How  the  ships  arrived  at  Melinde,  and  what  they  did  there  until  they 

departed  for  the  kingdom. 

When  the  ships  arrived  at  the  port  of  Melinde,  they  an- 
chored,  and   dressed  themselves  out  with   flags,   and   the 

^  Correa  said  above  (p.  239)  that  they  sailed  from  Angediva  on  the  10th 
December ;  Goes  and  Castanheda  fix  the  departure  from  Angediva  on  Fri- 
day, 5th  of  October,  the  sighting  of  Magadoxo  and  bombardment  of  it  on 
the  2nd  February,  and  the  arrival  at  Melinde  on  Monday  the  7th  of 
February.  Castanheda  gives  a  few  additional  details  of  the  return  voy- 
age from  Angediva  to  Melinde,  which  he  says  lasted  four  months,  what 
with  calms  and  other  causes :  the  crew  were  again  sick,  with  their  gums 
swollen  and  rotten  as  at  the  river  Bons  sinaes,  and  they  had  ulcers  in 
their  arms  and  legs,  and  thirty  persons  died,  and  others  could  hardly 
move ;  they  were  also  short  of  water,  which  had  to  be  served  out  by 
measure.  The  pilots  wanted  to  put  back  to  Calicut,  and  made  a  con- 
spiracy, which  Vasco  da  Gama  discovered,  upon  which  he  arrested  them, 
and  took  the  care  of  directing  the  ships'  course. 


Fazem  da  Ilha  alegre,  e  namorada  : 
Levao  refresco,  e  nobre  mantimento, 
Levao  a  companhia  desejada 
Das  Ninfas,  que  hao  de  ter  etemamente 
For  mais  tempo,  que  o  Sol  o  mundo  aquente. 

143. 
Ye  may  embarque  (for  wind  and  weather  fit, 
And  the  sea  courts  you)  for  your  countrey  dear. 
Thus  said  shee  to  them ;  and  they  forthwith  quit 
The  Isle  of  Love,  the  harbour  of  good  chear  : 
Noble  provisions  they  take  out  of  it ; 
Take  their  desir'd  desirous  Nymphs  to  bear 
Them  company  :  whom  nothing  shall  divorce, 
Whilst  in  the  heav'ns  the  sun  shall  run  his  course. 

Fanshmv. 


254  RETDRN    TO    3IELINDE. 

trumpets  sounded^  and  the  crews  shouted.  The  pilot,  who 
had  already  got  leave  from  the  captain-major,  hailed  the 
skiff  of  a  ship  which  was  near  to  them,  and  it  was  sent,  and 
he  went  on  shore  to  take  the  good  news  to  the  King  of  the 
good  fortune  which  our  men  had  met  Avith  ;  at  which  the 
King  was  much  pleased,  and  went  immediately  to  seat  him- 
self on  the  beach,  waiting  until  the  boats  were  lowered  into 
the  sea.  The  captains  got  into  them  at  once  and  went  to 
the  shore,  and  as  soon  as  the  boats  grounded  they  jumped 
out,  because  the  King  was  standing  by  with  the  water 
reaching  to  his  feet.  He  embraced  the  captains  with  both 
arms,  as  though  they  had  been  his  brothers ;  and  so  he  led 
them  away  to  the  palace,  where  he  again  embraced  them, 
and  sat  down  between  them  both,  the  captains  making  great 
salutations.  The  King  then  began  to  inquire  of  them  if 
they  came  with  good  health,  and  if  their  affairs  had  been  to 
their  satisfaction.  Paulo  da  Grama  said  to  him:  "Sire,  you, 
with  your  royal  sincerity  and  kind  affection,  put  us  in  a 
good  road,  on  which  account  we  have  found  all  that  we 
were  seeking  for  :  and  if  the  Lord  be  pleased  to  bring  us  to 
Portugal,  we  may  say  that  we  are  very  fortunate :  and  since 
you.  Sire,  procured  for  us  this  so  great  good,  we  and  those 
who  descend  from  us  will  for  ever  be  under  greater  obliga- 
tion to  you  than  any  men  ever  owed  to  a  ruler .^^  For 
which  reason  they  offered  to  him  themselves  and  their 
ships  and  all  they  contained,  for  all  was  his,  since  all  had 
been  acquired  through  him,  not  only  that  which  they  pos- 
sessed at  the  present  time,  but  all  that  there  might  be  in 
future,  for  all  was  his,  as  he  was  so  good  and  true  a  king, 
and  they  promised  to  serve  him  like  their  own  king  and 
sovereign.  The  King  thanked  them  very  much  with  very 
affectionate  words,  and  they  related  to  him  all  that  had 
happened  to  them ;  during  this  time  the  pilots  came  to  kiss 
the  King^s  feet,  and  he  gave  them  a  warm  welcome,  and 
they  related  to  him  what  they  had  seen  the  Portuguese  do. 


V 


THE    KING    WELCOMES    THE    PORTUGUESE.  255 

When  tliey  related  what  they  had  done  with  the  fustas  at 
Angediva^  all  were  much  amazed,  and  the  King  said  that  he 
would  be  much  pleased  to  see  the  Jew,  and  they  at  once 
sent  to  fetch  him.  When  he  came  before  the  King,  the 
captain-major  bade  h-im  give  an  account  of  all  his  ill  success 
to  the  King,  which  he  related,  and  they  were  all  much  sur- 
prised. The  King  asked  the  captain-major  how  he  had  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  treachery  of  jthe  Jew^  Pie  said  : 
"  Sire,  no  one  told  me  of  it,  but  only  my  heart,  for  on  hear- 
ing him  speak,  I  felt  such  irritation  that  it  seemed  that  my 
heart  was  struggling  to  leap  out  of  my  body.^^  The  King 
then  said  :  "  Now  at  length  I  know  indeed  that  you  are 
such  perfect  men,  that  I  should  be  very  fortunate  if  I  pos- 
sessed such  men  in  my  kingdom  to  attend  to  my  service  and 
honour ;  on  which  account  I  say,  and  swear  by  my  religion, 
that  from  this  day  forward  for  ever,  I  am  a  true  friend,  like 
a  brother  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  your  sovereign ;  and 
since  I  tell  you  this  truly  and  of  my  own  accord,  I  entreat 
you  much  to  promise  me  that  you  will  engage  the  King  to 
order  all  his  ships  to  come  to  this  city  of  mine,  where  I  will 
do  them  all  the  good  that  is  in  my  power,  so  that  I  shall  be 
a  great  king  having  such  people  for  my  friends ;  and  I  shall 
live  much  at  my  ease  with  my  kingdom  in  security,  whilst 
possessing  the  friendship  of  so  great  a  king  :  and  I  already 
know  much  more  than  what  you  have  told  me.^^  Paulo  da 
Gama  answered:  "  Sire,  God  shows  good  things  to  the  good, 
and  you  have  shown  them  to  us,  for  if  you  had  not  directed  us 
we  should  not  have  found  that  which,  had  we  not  discovered, 
never  could  we  have  retui'ned  to  our  country,  and  we 
should  have  gone  on  running  over  seas  and  countries  until 
all  of  us  should  have  ended  our  lives  :  and  since  you  have 
conferred  such  benefits  upon  us,  we  will  always  pray  to 
God  that  He  may  increase  your  royal  state  over  your  ene- 
mies. By  this  great  benefit  that  you  have  done  us,  when 
we  were  going  about  as  lost,  so  that  the  King  our  sovereign 


256  HOSPITABLE    RECEPTION    AT    MELINDE. 

would  never  again  have  seen  us,  you,  Sire,  have  delivered 
us  and  saved  us  from  perdition,  and  have  given  us  the 
remedy,  so  that  now  we  shall  go  before  the  King  our  sove- 
reign with  the  great  advantages  which  we  are  conveying  to 
him,  so  that  he  will  experience  such  pleasure  and  satisfac- 
tion, that  for  ever  he  and  his  sons,  and  all  who  descend 
from  them,  will  truly  be  your  brothers  in  sincere  affection, 
the  friends  of  your  friends,  and  the  enemies  of  your  enemies : 
and  when  any  other  ships  come  here,  which  without  doubt 
he  will  send,  you  will  see  in  his  letters  all  the  truth  of  what 
we  now  tell  you  here,  for  the  King  our  sovereign  will  send 
many  ships  and  men  to  seek  for  India,  which  will  be  all  of 
it  his,  and  he  will  confer  great  benefits  on  his  friends,  and 
you  will  be  the  one  most  esteemed,  above  them  all,  like  a 
brother  of  his  own  ;  and  when  you  see  his  power,  then  your 
heart  will  feel  entire  satisfaction.  One  favour  we  ask  you 
to  do  us,  which  is  that  these  pilots  which  you  gave  us,  or 
others  if  it  so  seem  better  to  you,  should  be  given  to  us  to 
go  with  us  to  Portugal,  because  they  know  the  navigation 
of  this  country,  which  our  men  do  not  know  j  for  after  we 
shall  have  passed  the  extremity  of  this  land,  after  that  we 
shall  know  how  to  go  to  our  country,  which  is  very  near  to 
this  one,  if  we  knew  how  to  navigate  in  the  fair  season 
of  this  coast ;  because,  when  we  came  thus  with  many 
storms,  as  we  did  not  see  the  land,  we  did  not  take  down 
the  marks  of  the  coast  in  order  to  know  how  to  return  to 
our  country.  Also,  if  your  pilots  go  with  us,  they  will  be- 
come acquainted  with  our  navigation,  and  they  will  see  our 
country  and  king,  and  when  they  return  they  will  relate  to 
you  truly  what  they  have  seen.^^  The  King  was  much 
pleased  with  this,  and  said  :  ''  It  appears  that  you  divine 
everything  which  I  desire  in  my  heart,  for  this  was  the 
thing  which  I  was  most  desirous  of,  and  I  was  now  on  the 
point  of  speaking  of  it  to  you,  because  I  had  already  settled 
it  with  the  best  pilots  whom  I  have  found,  and  of  whom  you 


PILOTS    PROVIDFT)    FOR   THE   PORTDGUfiSE.  257 

will  take  good  care^  since  they  are  willing  to  do  me  this 
service,  so  much  for  my  satisfaction,  and  they  leave  with  mo 
their  wives  and  children  lamenting  themselves;  and  I  tell 
them  that  I  send  them  assured  against  injury  upon  my  own 
head,"  The  captains  replied :  "  Sire,  wo  will  keep  and 
maintain  your  word  till  death."  The  captain-major  then 
immediately  sent  to  fetch  two  hundred  cruzados  in  gold, 
which  he  gave  to  the  King  to  leave  with  the  pilots'  wives  ; 
so  that  the  King  and  all  his  people  remained  well  satisfied. 
The  King  then  ordered  the  pilots  to  embark,  and  with  his 
own  hand  he  delivered  them  over  to  the  captains,  and  told 
them  at  once  to  get  on  board  the  ships  all  that  they  had 
need  of;  and  he  ordered  water  to  be  taken  to  them  in  the 
boats  of  the  ships  which  were  in  the  harbour,  and  in  every- 
thing much  was  done  for  their  equipment.  The  captains 
always  remained  with  the  King  all  day  until  night,  when 
they  always  went  to  sleep  in  their  ships.  When  they  wero 
quite  ready  and  wished  to  embark,  the  King  was  with  his 
ministers  and  principal  gentlemen,  and  in  the  presence  of 
them  all,  the  King  with  his  own  hand  gave  to  Paulo  da 
Gama  a  letter  written  on  a  leaf  of  gold,  like  that  of  the 
King  of  Cananor.  This  letter  was  very  long  :  in  it  the 
King  mentioned  all  that  had  passed  between  him  and  the 
Portuguese,  in  offers  of  service  and  obligations,  and  he 
affirmed  it  all  with  oaths ;  and  made  many  requests  to  the 
King  of  Portugal  that  he  would  send  his  fleets  and  men  to 
his  port,  which  would  be  very  suitable  to  his  honour ;  and 
he  sent  him  as  a  present  a  broad  gold  neck-chain  with  pre- 
cious stones  and  pearls,  which  in  Portugal  was  worth  ten 
thousand  cruzados,  also  a  chest  much  wrought  with  orna- 
ments of  silver  and  ivory,  full  of  white  stuffs  and  silks,  and 
gold  thread,  such  as  our  people  had  never  seen  the  like  of. 
The  King  said  these  things  were  for  the  Queen,  and  with 
these  were  twenty  jewelled  rings  of  the  same  value  as  the 
necklace.     He  also  gave  to  the  captains  jewels  of  gold,  and 


258  r:2f:sEVTs  z.ychanged  between 

various  kinds  of  stuffs,  all  of  much  value ;  lie  likewise  sent 
presents  to  Nicolas  Coelho,  who  was  on  board  the  ship. 
The  king  requested  the  captains  to  give  him,  in  writing,  and 
signed  by  them,  a  statement  of  all  that  had  passed  between 
them  up  to  that  time,  which  they  did ;  and  with  many  em- 
braces and  very  affectionate  speeches  the  captains  took 
leave  and  embarked.  The  King  sent  his  minister  immedi- 
ately after  them  with  two  boats  laden  with  packages  of  fine 
white  stuffs  and  coloured  stuffs  of  many  sorts  and  patterns, 
and  many  fine  muslins ;  and  he  sent  word  to  the  captains 
that  he  sent  that  for  their  masters  and  pilots  and  crews,  and 
that  they  were  to  distribute  it  among  them  to  each  man,  as 
they  thought  fit,  so  that  they  might  not  be  discontented 
with  his  country.  He  also  sent  for  the  Queen  a  piece  of 
ambergris,  set  in  silver,  of  the  length  of  half  an  ell,  and  of 
the  thickness  of  a  man's  waist ;  when  the  captains  saw  it 
they  ordered  ihe  crews  to  shout,  for  the  King  to  hear  them 
on  shore,  and  the  trumpets  to  be  sounded.  The  captains, 
however,  desiring  that  the  King  of  Portugal  should  excel  all 
others  in  greatness,  ordered  to  put  into  the  boats  ten 
chests  of  different  sorts  of  uncut  coral,  and  much  amber, 
vermilion,  and  quicksilver,  many  pieces  of  brocade,  velvet, 
satin,  and  coloured  damasks,  and  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth, 
and  coloured  cloths  of  Rouen.  Also  a  chest  full  of  mirrors, 
knives,  red  barret-caps,  and  other  kinds,  and  many  strings 
of  crystalline  beads  of  many  colours  which  looked  pretty, 
and  many  gilt  glasses,  and  two  hundred  bars  of  copper ;  for 
they  considered  that  it  was  not  worth  while  to  take  these 
things  back  to  Portugal  where  they  were  worth  little,  and 
they  had  brought  it  ail  to  trade  with  and  had  not  expended 
it.  Vasco  da  Gama  at  the  same  time  sent  to  the  King  a 
dagger  of  his  own,  very  richly  enamelled,  with  a  message 
to  the  effect  that  that  object  had  been  his,  and  that  he  begged 
him  much  to  wear  it  always  for  his  sake,  in  its  belt  which 
had  splendid  fringes,  as  was  the  custom  at  that  time.     He 


THE    KING    OF    MELINDE    AND    THE    PORTUGUESE,  259 

also  gave  othei'  things  to  the  minister^  so  that  he  went  away 
much  pleased  to  the  King,  who  was  seated  on  the  beach, 
where  the  minister  presented  all  these  things  to  him.  On 
seeing  them  the  King  said  :  ''  I  am  a  poor  man  to  be  able 
to  pay  for  all  this/^  Then  he  at  once  sent  to  the  merchants 
of  the  city  and  they  collected  a  hundred  pieces  of  Mekkah 
velvet,  of  many  colours,  and  pieces  of  satin,  and  fine  damask 
stuffs  from  Mekkah,  and  the  King  sent  these  to  the  ship 
with  a  message  to  the  captains,  that  these  stuffs  were  poor 
materials  for  their  own  clothing,  but  that  they  should  be  given 
to  the  seamen  and  crews  to  dress  in  when  they  reached 
Portugal.  For  this  they  sent  great  thanks  to  the  King, 
and  as  the  message  left  the  ships  there  came  from  shore 
many  boats  laden  with  refreshments,  and  many  things  for 
the  voyage,  and  a  large  jar  of  ginger,  preserved  with  sugar, 
for  the  captain-major,  and  another  for  Paulo  da  Gama,  which 
they  were  to  eat  at  sea  when  they  were  cold.  With  this 
came  the  pilots  with  their  baggage,  which  the  Portuguese 
pilots  stowed  away  in  their  quarters  with  them  in  the  cabins  of 
the  forecastle.  The  pilots  then  gave  orders  for  their  speedy 
departure ;  and  on  the  next  day,  the  day  of  St.  Sebastian, 
they  set  sail  with  foresails  and  mizens,  and  again  cast  anchor 
half  a  league  outside  the  port.  This  next  day  the  priests 
said  a  dry  mass  in  both  ships  with  many  prayers,  all  be- 
seeching the  Lord  devoutly,  with  many  tears,  to  be  pleased 
of  His  great  mercy  to  bring  them  to  Portugal.  When  this 
Was  concluded  they  loosed  the  sails,  standing  out  from  the 
land  as  much  as  the  pilots  directed ;  this  was  on  the  day  of 
St.  Sebastian,  the  twentieth  of  January  of  1499.^ 

»  Barros,  Goes,  and  Castanheda  say  that  Gama  stayed  five  days  at 
Melinde.  Goes  says  he  left  on  the  12th  February,  and  Castanheda  says 
the  10th  February. 


260  DEPARTURE    FROM    MELINDE. 


/^(r  CHAPTER    XXI. 

How  our  men  departed  from  Melinde  and  arrived  in  Portugal ;  and  of 
what  happened  to  them  by  the  way. 

When  tlie  sliips  had  set  sail,  as  has  been  related,  they  con- 
tinued to  ran  down  the  coast,  and  the  captains  gave  orders 
to  the  pilots  to  keep  a  good  look  out,  and  to  note  well  the 
coast  and  landmarks  which  it  presented,  and  to  question  the 
[Moorish  pilots  as  to  all  they  saw,  and  to  write  it  down  with 
Ifull  details ;  especially  the  outlines  and  marks  presented  by 
the  land  when  it  remained  astern,  because  that  was  the  view 
and  description  by  which  it  would  be  known  by  those  who 
would  come  from  the  kingdom,  running  along  the  coast; 
and  also  to  write  down  the  names  of  the  towns  and  rivers 
and  everything.     This  the  pilots  did  with  much  care ;  and^ 
it  was  also  done  by  a  priest  of  the  ship,  named  Joan  Figueira^ 
who  of  his  own  accord  wrote  down  all  that  happened  in  this 
voyage ;  and  on  arriving  at  Melinde  he  was  at  the  point  of 
death.     Then,  thinking  that  he  was  going  to  die,  he  gave  to 
the  captain  a  note-book  in  which  he  had  written  down  every- 
thing,  at  which  the  captain  was  much  pleased;    and  on 
leaving  Melinde  he  charged  him  to  go  on  writing  in  the  same 
manner  until  the  voyage  was  ended,  which  he  did.     Many 
copies  were   afterwards   made   of  what  this  priest  wrote ; 
I  and  I  saw  some  fragments  of  one  of  them,  in  the  possession 
of  Alfonso  de  Albuquerque,  amongst  some  old  papers  of  his 
(for  I,  Gaspar  Correa,  served  him  for  three  years  as  his  clerk), 
and  seeing  in  them  things  so  pleasing  to  hear  and  to  know, 
I  gathered  together  this  manuscript  book,  which  was  already 
'  become  pieces  and  was  torn  in  parts  :  and  on  account  of  it, 
I  I  formed  the  resolution  of  writing  all  that  I  might  be  able 
'  to  acquire  and  hear  of  the  deeds  and  events  of  India,  with 


GAMA    RUNS    BY    SOFALA.  261 

respect  to  whicli  I  have  already  made  my  excuses,  which  I 
earnestly  entreat  my  readers  to  accept  from  me,  and  that 
they  will  take  into  account  my  ignorance  through  which  I 
have  fallen  into  error.  To  continue,  the  Portuguese  navi- 
gated thus  with  a  fair  wind,  and  at  their  ease,,  relying  on 
the  good  pilots  they  had ;  for  they  were  so  experienced  that 
they  used  to  say,  to-morrow  we  shall  see  such  a  land,  or 
river,  or  islands,  and  they  were  always  correct  without 
making  any  mistakes.  On  reaching  Mozambique^  they 
would  not  go  thither,  they  had  not  any  necessity  to  do  so, 
and  went  on  their  course.  When  they  were  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Sofala  the  pilots  told  the  masters  that  they 
ought  to  be  well  prepared  and  ready  to  lower  the  sails,  and 
that  at  night  they  should  shorten  sail,  and  keep  a  good 
look-out,  because  where  they  were  going  there  was  a  river 
belonging  to  a  country  named  Sofala,  from  which  at  times 
there  issued  a  very  violent  squall  of  wind,  which  swept  away 
the  trees  and  cattle  and  brought  them  down  to  the  sea ;  but 
that  this  was  not  certain,  for  some  years  it  did  not  occur : 
and,  since  it  was  thus  doubtful  and  very  sudden,  no  one 
passed  by  there  without  great  precautions  as  to  the  sails,  for 
ships  even  without  sails  still  ran  some  risk,  but  these  squalls 
lasted  but  a  short  time,  and  passed  over  like  thunderstorms 
that  they  were  :  although  the  ships  should  be  rigged  with 
little  sail  they  would  run  very  fast,  on  account  of  the  great 
current  of  the  sea  which  would  carry  them  towards  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  The  pilots  directed  the  ships  to  be  brought 
very  close  to  the  land  as  a  precaution  against  the  wind,  in 

^  Goes  says  that  when  opposite  the  town  of  Tagata  Gama  biu-ned 
Paulo  da  Gama's  ship,  which  was  very  old ;  Castanheda  says  he  did  thia 
on  the  17th  of  February  at  the  banks  of  St.  Rafael,  named  after  it. 
Goes  says  that  Gama  arrived  off  Zanzibar  on  the  28th  of  February,  and 
that  the  ruler  of  it  sent  him  refreshment;  he  sailed  on  the  1st  of  March, 
and  then  anchored  off  St.  Jorge  Island,  without  communicating  with  the 
Sheikh  of  Mozambique :  on  the  3rd  of  March  (Castanheda)  he  touched 
at  San  Bias,  and  doubled  the  Cape  on  the  20th  March. 


262  REJOICINGS    AT    DOUBLING    THE 

case  it  blew  ;  and  the  Lord  was  pleased  that  it  did  not  arise. 
Since  the  Portuguese  had  met  there  with  sea-winds  which 
were  very  stormy,  and  as  they  found  many  islands  and 
shallows,  the  captains  spoke  to  the  pilots  about  standing 
further  off  from  the  land,  lest  any  wind  from  the  sea  might 
do  them  harm,  and  that  they  could  not  keep  the  course 
which  they  were  then  making.  The  pilots  replied  that  it 
was  at  that  time  the  summer  of  this  region,  and  that  there 
was  no  other  wind  except  that  which  they  then  had,  which 
was  a  stern  breeze ;  and  that  if  this  wind  fell  calm  there 
would  arise  a  head  wind  fi*om  the  opposite  direction,  and 
that  there  would  be  no  wind  from  seaward,  and  they  were 
to  be  under  no  apprehension  of  it ;  and  if  there  should  come 
a  contrary  wind  they  would  not  need  to  put  into  port,  nor 
fetch  the  land,  they  would  only  have  to  lie-to  until  a  fair 
wind  sprung  up  again,  for  even  while  they  were  lying-to  the 
currents  would  carry  them  forwards.  By  reason  of  these 
currents,  whenever  the  wind  was  contrary,  the  sea  would 
rise  very  high,  but  there  would  not  be  rain  nor  storms. 
The  Lord,  however,  was  pleased  in  His  mercy  that  they 
should  pass  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  sight  of  it,  without 
any  accident,  and  immediately  afterwards  they  saw  the  turn 
which  the  other  coast  takes  towards  Portugal.  They  took 
down  many  bearings  and  mai"ks  of  this  coast,  and  sound- 
ings, which  they  took  lying-to.  They  found  in  the  sea 
some  yellow  weeds  like  espadana,^  and  many  seals,^  which 
at  sight  of  the  ships  dived  underneath  the  water.  They 
ran  under  full  sail,  and  seeing  the  Cape  remain  behind, 
and  that  they  had  passed  by  it  towards  Portugal,  the 
ii pleasure  of  all  was  so  great  that  they  embraced  each 
|other  with  great  joy ;  they  then  all  knelt  down,  with 
their  hands  raised  up  to  heaven,  uttering  great  praise  and 

^  Espadana,  a  plant  called   Gladiolus,  Xiphinm,   Xiphion  Spatha, 
VictoriaUs  foemina,  and  Gladiolus  STjlvestris,  Bluteau. 
■•'  Lobos  marinhos. 


CAPE    ON    THE    IIOMEWAliD    VOYAGE.  263 

prayers  for  the  great  benefits  wliicli  had  been  granted  them. 
Vasco  da  Gama  then  said  to  the  master  and  pilot  and  the 
seamen  whom  he  had  arrested:  ''What  do  you  men  now  say 
of  the  great  shame  with  which  you  covered  yourselves^  when, 
from  fear  of  the  storm,  you  wished  to  seize  upon  me  and 
lose  this  great  pleasure  which  we  all  possess,  and  this  great 
service  which  we  have  rendered  to  God,  and  to  the  King 
our  sovereign,  who  will  grant  us  so  many  favours  for  our 
great  hardships."  'To  this  only  one  mariner  answered, 
who  was  named  Joam  Dameiroeira  ;^  he  said :  "  Sir,  we 
acted  according  to  what  we  are ;  you  acted  like  as  you  are. 
Now,  Sir,  on  a  day  of  so  much  joy,  it  is  in  reason  that  we 
should  be  pardoned."  Vasco  da  Gama  replied  :  "  I  forgive 
you,  for  in  my  heart  there  is  no  ill  will  towards  you,  but  on 
account  of  the  vow  which  I  made,  I  will  take  the  master 
and  pilot  in  irons  to  present  them  before  the  King,  who 
will  grant  you  many  favours  for  this,  which  I  will  beg  of 
him  for  you  and  for  your  children,  and  this  I  promise  you ; 
and  you  shall  go  from  the  palace  to  your  houses  bound  in 
chains,  which  there  you  will  take  off,  only  this  will  be  for  a 
remembrance  and  recollection  of  this  so  perilous  voyage 
which  you  have  made,  the  honour  of  which  will  endure  as 
long  as  you  live."  Then  he  ordered  them  to  bring  on  the 
quarter-deck  all  the  things  that  the  King  of  Melinde  had 
sent,  and  he  sent  an  equal  portion  to  the  ship  of  Paulo  da 
Gama,  and  he  distributed  it  all  amongst  the  whole  ship's 
company  with  great  order,  giving  to  each  according  as  it 
seemed  just,  so  that  all  were  contented.  He  gave  to  the 
Moorish  pilots  dresses  of  scarlet  cloth  such  as  they  desired, 
and  jubbehs  of  yellow  satin,  and  Paulo  da  Gama  did  the 
same  with  his  people.  The  pilots  and  masters  then  held  a 
consultation  as  to  the  course  they  should  make,  and  they 
spoke  of  it  to  the  Moorish  pilots,  and  told  them  that  the 
coast  on  this  side  towards  Portugal  made  so  great  a  bay 
'  The  Lisbon  edition  has  Joao  d'Ameixoeira. 


264  ARRIVAL   AT   TERCEIRA. 

that  they  could  not  run  along  it^  therefore  they  must  now 
stand  out  to  sea  for  Portugal,  for  they  had  a  very  good 
notion  and  understanding  of  the  course  which  they  ought 
to  make,  all  which  they  explained  to  the  Moorish  pilots, 
who  already  understood  some  little  of  our  speech.  These 
asked  if  Portugal  stood  out  as  far  into  the  sea  as  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope ;  they  told  them  that  it  did  so,  and  even  still 
more ;  the  pilots  .answered  that  it  would  be  well  to  take 
this  course  :  and  the  ships  sailed  within  speaking  distance 
of  one  another,  telling  each  other  of  all  that  they  were  doing. 
When  it  was  night  the  Moorish  pilots  took  observations 
with  the  stars,  so  that  they  made  a  straight  course.  When 
they  were  on  the  line  they  met  with  showers  and  calms,  so 
that  our  men  knew  that  they  were  in  the  region  of  Guinea. 
Here  also  they  encountered  contrary  winds,  which  come 
from  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  so  that  they  took  a  tack  out  to 
sea  on  a  bowline,  going  as  close  to  the  wind  as  possible. 
They  sailed  thus  with  much  labour  at  the  pumps,  for  the 
ships  made  much  water  with  the  straining  of  going  on  a 
bowline,  and  in  this  part  of  the  sea  they  found  some  trouble- 
some weed,  of  which  there  was  much  that  covered  the  sea, 
which  had  a  leaf  like  sargar^o,  which  name  they  gave  to  it, 
and  so  named  it  for  ever.^  Our  pilots  got  sight  of  the 
north  star  at  the  altitude  which  they  used  to  see  it  in  Por- 
tugal, by  which  they  knew  that  they  were  near  Portugal. 
They  then  ran  due  north  until  they  sighted  the  islands,^   at 

^  Sargago.  Bluteau  gives  a  description  of  this  weed,  which  he  says 
rises  a  span  above  the  surface  of  the  sea :  he  quotes  from  John  Hugh 
Linschoten,  Hist.  Orient.,  3rd  part,  p.  34 — "  Lusitani  herbam  Sarga(jo 
nominant,  quod  Nasturtio  Aquatico,  quod  ipsi  Sarga^o  indigitant,  non 
admodum  dissimilis  sit,"  etc.  Bluteau  says  this  weed  is  a  remedy  for 
the  stone  and  diseases  of  the  bladder,  when  eaten  raw  or  boiled. 

2  Goes  says  they  arrived  at  Santiago  on  the  25th  April :  he  and  Caa- 
tanheda  say  that  Nicolas  Coelho  parted  company  here  from  Gama  (Goes 
says  in  a  storm,  Castanheda  says  one  night),  and  went  on  to  give  news  to 
D.  Manuel  of  the  discovery,  and  reached  Cascaes  on  the  10th  of  July,  1499. 


DEATH    OF    PAULO    DA   GAMA.  265 

whicli  their  joy  was  unbounded,  and  they  reached  them,  and 
ran  along  them  to  Terceira,  at  which  they  anchored  in  the 
port  of  Angra  at  the  end  of  August.  There  the  ships 
could  hardly  keep  afloat  by  means  of  the  pumps,  and  they 
were  so  old  that  it  was  a  wonder  how  they  kept  above 
water,  and  many  of  the  crews  were  dead,  and  others  sick, 
who  died  on  reaching  land;  there  also  Paulo  da  Gama  died, 
for  he  came  ailing  ever  since  he  passed  the  Cape,  and  off 
Guinea  he  took  to  his  bed,  and  never  again  rose  from  it. 
When  that  happened  Vasco  da  Gama  passed  over  to  his 
brother's  ship,  and  always  voyaged  with  him  :  all  the  crews 
in  general  had  grown  sick.  Paulo  da  Gama  lived  only  one 
day  on  shore,  and  was  buried  in  the  monastery  of  St. 
Francis,  with  great  honours,  and  was  accompanied  by  the 
captain  and  all  the  honourable  people  of  the  island.  Vasco 
da  Gama  bewailed  the  death  of  his  good  brother  with  very 
great  regret  and  affliction,  for  he  loved  him  much.  When 
the  ships  had  arrived  thus  at  the  islands,  the  almoxarife 
(officer  of  the  King's  duties)  and  the  King's  officials  used 
much  diligence  in  refitting  the  ships  with  everything  that 
they  required,  and  they  put  mariners  on  board  of  them  to 
navigate  them,  because  Vasco  da  Gama  would  not  consent 
to  their  discharging  any  of  the  cargo  from  them,  as  they 
wished  to  do,  for  when  they  first  arrived  they  had  wished 
to  tranship  the  merchandise  into  other  vessels,  to  make  it 
safe,  but  the  captain-major  did  not  consent  to  it.  As  soon 
as  the  ships  arrived  at  the  island,  many  ships  started  for 
Lisbon  to  go  and  take  the  news  to  the  King,  as  they  hoped 
to  obtain  by  that  great  favours  as  the  reward  of  the  good 
news.  Afterwards,  when  the  ships  were  provided  with  all 
that  was  necessary,  they  departed  for  Lisbon,  and  Vasco  da 
Gama  was  so  affiicted  by  the  death  of  his  brother,  that 
it  very  much  diminished  his  satisfaction  with  the  great 
honours  that  he  hoped  for  on  coming  to  the  King's  presence: 
withal  he  gave  great  praise  to  the  Lord,  since  this  had  been 


20G  ARTHUR    RODRIGUEZ    BRINGS    NEWS 

for  His  lioly  service.  Many  vessels  went  from  the  island 
in  company  with  the  ships,  and  all  arrived  together  at  Lis- 
bon, which  was  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  September  of  the 
year  1499.^ 


s/  CHAPTER  XXII. 

Of  the  reception  and  honours  and  favours  which  the  King  granted  to 
Vasco  da  Gama,  and  to  those  who  had  gone  with  him  on  this 
voyage. 

The  King  was  staying  at  Sintra  when  there  arrived  one 
Arthur  Rodriguez,  a  man  married  in  the  isle  of  Terceira ; 
he  had  a  carvel  of  his  own,  ready  to  make  a  voyage  to  Al- 
garve.  He,  seeing  the  ships  come  in,  set  sail  without 
knowing  whence  they  were  coming,  and  so  he  passed  by 
them  under  sail  before  they  came  to  anchor,  and  asked 
whence  they  came,  and  they  answered  that  they  came  from 
India.  He  at  once  made  his  course  for  Lisbon,  where  he 
arrived  in  four  days,  and  entered  Cascaes,^  and  got  into  a 
small  boat  which  was  going  ashore,  and  he  gave  orders  to 
a  son  of  his  who  came  with  him  not  to  let  anyone  approach 
to  communicate  with  his  vessel,  nor  to  say  anything  of  the 
ships  from  India.  This  Arthur  R5Iz  on  reaching  land  went 
at  once  with  speed  to  Sintra,  because  the  men  of  the  skiff 
had  told  him  that  the  King  was  there,  and  he  set  out  and 
arrived  there  at  one  o'clock  at  night,  and  went  to  the  King, 
who  had  just  sat  down  at  table  to  sup.  Arthur  Roiz  took 
the    King's    hand    and   kissed   it,   saying :  ''  Sire,   I    have 

1  There  is  a  great  variety  in  the  dates  given  by  different  historians  of 
the  return  of  Gama  to  Lisbon.  Castanheda  says  September;  Maffei, 
September;  Goes,  August  29 ;  Quintella,  Annaes  da  Marinha  Portugucsa, 
August  29 ;  Barros,  August  29 ;  Mariz,  Bialoyo  de  varia  historia,  August 
20  ;  Anno  Historico,  July  29. 

2  Cascaes,  a  village  and  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tagus,  five  leagues 
from  Lisbon. 


TO    THE    KING    OF    GAMA'S    RETURN.  267 

kissed  the  Land  of  your  Highness  for  the  great  favour 
which  you  will  grant  me  for  the  so  great  and  good  news 
which  I  bring  you.^  It  is  four  days  since  I  set  out  from 
Terceira,  where  I  left  two  ships  from  India,  for  as  I  was 
coming  under  sail  in  a  carvel  of  mine  I  passed  by  them,  and 
inquired,  and  they  told  me  that  they  came  from  India :  and 
as  it  was  such  good  news,  I  did  not  choose  that  another 
should  come  first  and  be  before  me  in  gaining  the  reward 
which  I  hope  your  Highness  will  give  me."  The  King  was 
not  able  to  continue  hearing  him,  but  went  off  at  once  to 
the  chapel  which  is  within  the  palace,  where  he  recited  his 
orisons  and  gave  great  praises  to  the  Lord  for  the  so  great 
favour  that  had  been  vouchsafed  to  him.  Upon  this  there 
was  great  excitement,  and  all  the  nobles  flocked  to  the 
palace  to  give  the  King  joy  of  his  great  satisfaction.  The 
King  took  Arthur  Rolz  as  a  gentleman  of  his  household, 
and  his  son  as  a  page  of  the  chamber,  and  gave  him  a 
gratification  of  a  hundred  cruzados,  which  the  King's  purser 
gave  to  him  at  once.  The  King  then  said  to  the  nobles 
that  he  would  start  before  morning  for  Lisbon  to  receive 
further  messages,  which  would  come  following  after  this 
one,  and  in  case  the  ships  came,  the  better  to  see  them 
enter  Lisbon.  The  King  arrived  there  the  next  day  at 
dinner-time,  and  another  message  reached  him,  which  came 
to  win  the  reward  of  good  news,  and  which  told  the  King 
all  the  news  of  how  Vasco  da  Gama  had  arrived  with  his 
crews  dead  and  sick,  and  that  Paulo  da  Gama  had_thus  ' 

'  The  account  of  Barros  of  the  announcement  of  the  discovery  of  the 
passage  to  India  is  very  different : 

In  the  Register  of  Moradias,  or  Court  allowances  (Torre  do  Tombo, 
Ma^.  1,  L°.  7),  there  is  a  document  which  seems  confirmatory  of  Correa's 
statement  about  Arthur  Rodriguez  :  it  bears  no  date,  but  others  near  it 
are  dated  1525,  and  the  last  leaf  of  the  book  is  dated  1529. 

It.     Arthur  Roiz  irmao  bastardo  de  V"=°  de  froes  avera 
todo  este  seg"*"  quartell  a  setecemtos  e  cynquoenta  .  .  .  .  p""  mes 
de  caval™  sem  cevada — II  ii«  4rs. 


268  RETURN    OP    GAMA    TO    LISBON. 

arrived^  and  that  he  had  died  shortly  after  his  arrival ;  at 
which  the  King  showed  grief,  and  said  :  "  I  should  greatly 
rejoice  if  Vasco  da  Gama  had  come  before  me  with  his 
satisfaction  complete,  so  as  not  to  deprive  me  of  any  por- 
tion of  mine  which  I  now  enjoy."  The  King  gave  a  reward 
to  the  messenger  for  what  he  related,  which  was  that  as 
soon  as  they  were  prepared  with  what  they  required,  the 
ships  would  set  out,  because  they  came  with  great  labour 
at  the  pumps,  from  which  the  seamen  never  desisted,  for 
thB  ships  had  opened  their  seams  with  the  calms  which 
they  met  with  off  Guinea,  and  with  the  hard  work  at  the 
pumps  the  crews  had  fallen  sick  and  died,  but  that  many 
people  of  the  island  were  coming  in  the  ships,  and  many 
vessels  were  coming  with  them  which  would  arrive  with 
them  at  Lisbon.  With  this  great  pleasure  the  King  waited 
until  the  ships  arrived  at  the  bar,  where  there  were  boats 
with  pilots  who  were  waiting  for  them,  and  who  at  once 
brought  them  in  dressed  out  with  flags,  while  the  King  was 
looking  on  from  the  House  of  the  Mines,  which  afterwards 
became  the  India  House.  The  ships  on  coming  to  anchor 
fired  a  salute  with  their  artillery,  and  the  King  sent  imme- 
diately Jorge  de  Vasconcelos,  overseer  of  the  armoury  of 
Lisbon,  a  chief  nobleman  of  his  household,  to  visit  Vasco  da 
Gama,  and  to  say  to  him  that  the  King  hoped  his  coming 
would  be  as  happy  as  the  pleasure  which  he  himself  felt  on 
account  of  it;  but  that  the  King's  pleasure  was  much 
diminished  by  the  great  grief  which  he  experienced  for  the 
death  of  his  brother ;  but  seeing  the  great  favour  which  the 
Lord  had  granted  to  him,  and  looking  well  at  one  circum- 
stance and  the  other,  he  ought  to  lay  aside  his  grief,  at 
which  the  King  would  be  much  pleased,  and  that  he  should 
disembark  shortly.  After  this,  many  friends  and  relations 
came  to  the  ship  to  visit  Yasco  da  Gama,  and  they  entreated 
him  much  not  to  go  before  the  King  with  such  grief  and 
mourning  as  he  showed,  and  to  have  regard  for  the  message 


RECEPTION    BY    THE    KING.  269 

which  the  King  had  sent.  He* consulted  as  to  this  with  all 
his  friends,  and  he  dressed  himself  in  a  close-fitting  tunic 
of  silk  (solia),  and  a  round  barret-cap,  which  looked  well, 
and  he  wore  his  beard  very  long,  for  he  had  never  cut  it 
since  he  had  departed  from  Lisbon.  Vasco  da  Gama  landed 
on  the  beach  in  front  of  the  houses,  where  he  was  received 
by  all  the  nobles  of  the  court,  and  by  the  Count  of  Borba 
and  the  Bishop  Cal9adilha,  and  he  went  between  those  twO 
before  the  King,  who,  when  he  arrived,  rose  up  from  his 
chair  and  did  him  great  honour;  and  Vasco  da  Gama  on  his 
knees  took  hold  of  his  legs  and  kissed  his  hand,  saying : 
''Sire,  all  my  hardships  have  come  to  an  end  at  this  moment, 
and  I  am  altogether  satisfied,  since  the  Lord  has  brought 
me  to  the  presence  of  your  Highness  at  the  end  of  all,  very 
well  as  I  desired."  The  King  said  to  him :  "  May  your 
coming  be  very  fortunate ;  and  I  have  such  satisfaction  at 
it,  that  no  one  feels  more  pleased  than  I :  and  since  God 
has  given  you  life  until  this,  as  you  besought  of  Him,  He 
will  give  it  you  for  you  to  receive  from  me  the  recompenses 
merited  by  the  great  service  which  you  have  now  rendered 
me."  At  this  Vasco  da  Gama  kissed  the  King's  hand. 
The-jting  then  said  to  him:  ''For  my  sake  console  yourself 
for  the  death  of  your  brother,  since  it  has  pleased  the  Lord 
that  all  should  remain  for  you,  as  all  my  hope  and  trust 
with  regard  to  this  service  which  I  committed  to  you,  I  had 
reposed  it  in  you,  for  which  I  give  great  praise  to  the  Lord 
who  has  been  pleased  to  grant  me  this  great  favour :  and 
although  your  brother  has  died,  his  afiairs  shall  not  sufier 
by  losing  the  recompenses  which  I  would  have  made  him 
had  he  been  alive ;  and  it  shall  be  the ,  same  for  all  those 
who  died  as  for  those  who  have  remained  alive."  Then  the 
King  mounted  his  horse,  and  went  to  the  palace  above  the 
alcasoba,  where  his  apartments  then  were,  and  took  Vasco 
da  Gama  with  him,  who,  on  entering  where  the  Queen  was, 
kissed  her  hand,  and  she  did  him  great  honour.     The  King 


270  PARDON    OF    THE    MUTINEERS. 

then  dismissed  bim  to  go  and  rest  himself,  and  bade  him 
come  next  day  to  recount  to  him  his  labours  and  hardships, 
and  give  his  orders  as  to  what  was  to  be  done  in  the  ships  : 
upon  which  Vasco  da  Gama  took  his  leave  and  went  to  his 
house,  accompanied  by  many  people.    The  King  sent  orders 
to  the  officers  of  the  House  of  the  Mines  not  to  do  anything, 
nor   move    anything   in  the   ships   except  what  Vasco   da 
Gama  ordered,  and  they  were  to  go  and  ask  him,  and  do 
whatever  he  commanded ;  and  they  did  this  and  went  to 
give  him  the  message   which   the   King  had   sent.     Then 
Vasco  da  Gama  ordered  that  a  good  guard  should  be  set  in 
the  ships,  and  that  the  crews  should  be  sent  to  their  homes, 
and  should  take  with  them  all  their  clothes  and  property, 
with  the  exception  of  the  master  and  pilot,  whom  he  had 
to  present  in  irons  to  the  King,  as  he  brought  them  as 
prisoners,  and  that  they  (the  messengers)  should  go  and  tell 
the  King  of  this,  and  of  the  cause  of  it.     So  they  went  at 
once  to  tell  the  King  this  and  the  cause  of  it,  and  when  he 
heard  it,  he  sent  word  to  Vasco  da  Gama  that,  since  he  had 
arrested  them,  he  might  order  them  to  be  executed  or  set 
at  liberty,  and  he  might  do  with  them  whatever  was  his 
will,  as  he  gave  him  full  and  entire  jurisdiction  over  them 
and  as  many  as  came  with  him.     Vasco  da  Gama  then  sent 
to  summon  the  prisoners  to  his  house,  and  said  to  them  : 
"  I  have  fulfilled  my  word  in  delivering  you  up  in  irons  to 
the  King,  and  I  have  sent  to  tell  him  of  your  offences,  and 
he  has  left  the  punishment  of  them  to  me ;  this  I  pardon 
you  freely,  on  account  of  your  hardships;  now  I  will  com- 
ply with  my  word  as  to  the  recompense  which  I  promised 
you  for  your  services  :  go  in  peace  and  rest  yourselves  with 
your  wives  and  children,  with  whom  you  will  now  live  with 
more  ease  and  pleasure  than  you  would  have  had  if  you  had 
returned,  flying  from  fear  of  the  storms,  and  bringing  your 
captain  a  prisoner  as  you  had  determined  to  do."     To  this 
they  had  nothing  to  answer,  but  only  fell  upon  their  knees 


GAMA    PRESENTS    COELHO    TO    THE    KING.  271 

with  their  hands  raised  to  heaven^  and  said:  "Sir^  may  you 
have  your  reward  from  God/'  Yasco  da  Garaa  sent  them 
to  their  houses,  and  ordered  that  they  should  take  out  of 
the  ship  all  their  propert3^  Then  he  ordered  them  to  dis- 
embark and  bring  to  his  house  the  Moorish  pilots,  and  the 
captives,  and  the  Jew,  and  all  were  now  wearing  the 
clothes  which  Vasco  da  Gama  had  ordered  to  be  made  for 
them  on  leaving  Terceira.  Next  day  in  the  morning  Yasco 
da  Gama  went  to  the  palace,  and  found  the  King  in  the 
wardrobe,  where  he  was  standing  dressing  himself.  On  his 
entrance  the  King  made  him  very  welcome  with  smiles  and 
pleasant  words,  and  called  to  him,  saying,  "  Dom  Yasco  da 
Gama,  you  have  rested  but  little."  Dom  Yasco,  with  one 
knee  on  the  ground,  kissed  his  hand  for  the  favour  of  the 
title  of  Dom  which  he  had  given  hira.  The  King  told  him 
that  he  gave  it  to  him  for  the  whole  of  his  lineage,  and  con- 
tinued talking  to  him  of  the  pleasure  he  felt,  and  then  went 
to  mass,  where  Dom  Yasco  stood  within  the  curtain  speak- 
ing to  the  King,  and  for  a  long  space  of  time  after  mass, 
during  which  he  gave  the  King  many  details  of  his  affairs. 
After  that  they  went  to  the  house  of  the  Queen,  whither 
Dom  Yasco  sent  to  summon  Nicolas  Coelho  to  come  from 
the  ship,  who  brought  a  chest  in  which  came  all  the  jewels 
and  stuffs  for  the  King.  When  he  had  come  in,  Dom  Yasco 
presented  him  to  the  King,  and  said :  "  Sire,  Nicolas  Coelho 
has  not  been  of  little  account  in  the  hardships  and  services, 
and  your  Highness  will  show  him  favours  according  to  his 
merits."  To  this  the  King  replied  :  "  Dom  Yasco,  it  shall 
all  be  as  you  desire."  Then  he  kissed  the  King's  hand, 
which  Nicolas  Coelho  did  also,  and  then  opened  the  chest, 
and  presented  on  the.  Queen's  dais  the  necklaces  and  jewels 
and  stuffs  of  the  Kings  of  Cananor  and  of  Melinde,  and  the 
letters  on  the  leaves  of  gold,  and  the  piece  of  ambergris, 
which  was  what  the  Queen  valued  the  most ;  also  the  musk 
and  porcelain  which  had  been  bought  in  Calecut;  and  when 


272  WELCOME    OF    GAMA    AT    COURT. 

all  had  been  gathered  together,  Vasco  da  Gama  remained 
there  relating  all  the  principal  events  which  had  happened 
during  his  voyage,  whilst  all  the  principal  gentlemen  of  the 
kingdom  were  present,  for  the  King  wished  that  they 
should  learn  how  great  a  service  Dom  Vasco  had  rendered 
to  him.  They  all  offered  great  congratulations  upon  it  to 
the  King,  on  account  of  the  great  pleasure  which  they  saw- 
that  he  took  in  it,  and  all  desired  [to  have  performed]  the 
services  of  Dom  Vasco,  and  [to  possess]  the  dignities  which 
he  held  by  a  grant,^  and  they  greatly  extolled  the  deserts  of 
Dom  Vasco.  Whilst  Dom  Vasco  da  Gama  was  relating  to  the 
King  the  kindness  of  the  King  of  Melinde,  he  told  him 
that  he  had  in  his  house  two  pilots  whom  that  King  had 
given  to  him,  expressing  a  great  desire  that  they  should  see 
with  their  own  eyes  the  things  of  Portugal,  to  relate  them 
to  him  on  their  return.  The  King  rejoiced  much  at  this, 
and  told  Dom  Vasco  to  employ  a  man  to  go  about  with 
them  and  show  them  all  the  things  which  it  seemed  to  him 
desirable  for  them  to  see;  and  this  was  done,  and  all  the 
good  things  of  Portugal  were  shown  to  them,  especially  the 
King  and  Queen,  with  her  ladies,  on  feast  days,  and  at  the 
royal  dance,  and  the  King's  banquet,  and  the  sports  with 
bulls  and  canes  (jerid),  and  the  churches  and  splendid 
palaces,  and  the  monastery  of  Batalha :  all  which  the  pilots 
wrote  down  and  took  notes  of.  Dom  Vasco  also  e*ave  an 
account  to  the  King  of  the  Jew  whom  he  brought  and  of 
the  other  captives  whom  he  had  taken  in  Angediva.  The 
King  told  him  that  they  were  all  his,  to  do  what  he  pleased 
with.  All  of  them  became  Christians,  for  Dom  Vasco  took 
care  of  them  all  and  treated  them  well,  especially  the  Jew, 
who  received  the  name  of  Gaspar  da  Gama,  because  he  took 
him  as  his  godson  at  baptism  :  the  King  spoke  to  this  Jew 

•  The  Lisbon  edition  supplies  the  word  mais^  and  reads  "all  were 
more  desirous  of  the  services  of  Dom  Vasco,  than  of  the  dignities  which 
they  held  by  grant." 


TEE    GRANADINE    JEW    BECOMES    A    CHRISTIAN.  273 

frequently,  and  took  pleasure  in  listening  to  what  he  re- 
lated, on  which  account  the  King  did  him  many  favours, 
and  gave  him  many  dresses  from  his  own  wardrobe,  and 
horses  from  his  stables,  and  servants  from  among  those  who 
became  Christians  whom  Dom  Yasco  gave  to  him  ;  and  all 
the  people  used  to  call  him  Caspar  of  the  Indies,  for  so  he 
wished  them  to  name  him.  After  that  the  King  ordered 
Dom  Vasco  to  dispose  and  give  orders  for  the  payment  of 
the  crews  of  the  ships  as  he  thought  fit,  since  he  knew 
their  deserts  better  than  any  one  else,  and  the  ships  had 
no'-'  discharged  their  cargo.  So  he  ordered  that  the  offi- 
cials should  give  to  each  man  all  that  they  had  brought 
freely,  and  that  to  each  man  should  be  given  ten  pounds  of 
each  spice  for  their  wives  to  divide  with  their  gossips  and 
friends,  so  that  all  might  be  pleased.  When  the  cargo  was 
taken  out,  all  the  pepper  and  drugs  were  weighed ;  the 
King  ordered  his  officials  to  draw  up  an  account  of  all  the 
expense  of  the  three  ships  and  the  merchandise  and  things 
which  they  had  taken  out,  and  of  the  recompenses  and  pay 
of  the  captains  and  crews,  because  all  had  remained  written 
down  up  to  their  departure  from  Belem:  and  all  this  having 
been  reckoned  up,  and  also  the  value  of  the  return  goods, 
it  was  found  that  for  each  one  there  was  a  profit  of  sixty. 
Then  the  King  granted  to  Dom  Vasco  a  perpetual  right  of 
two  hundred  cruzados  which  he  might  lay  out  each  year,  of 
his  own  money,  on  cinnamon  in  Cananor,  as  that  was  the  first 
country  on  the  coast  of  India  with  which  he  had  established 
relations.  These  purchases  he  might  stow  on  board  any 
ship  whatever  without  paying  freight  or  duties,  and  he 
might  bring  them  free  of  charge  to  his  house  to  be  weighed, 
that  they  might  not  be  in  excess ;  and  even  though  there 
should  not  be  more  than  one  ship  only,  he  might  stow  them 
in  it :  and  if  during  one  year  he  put  nothing  on  board,  if  it 
were  not  by  his  own  default,  he  was  to  be  at  liberty  during 
the  following  year  or  years  to  put  all  this  cargo  on  board 


274  EECOMPENSES    GIVEN    BY    THE    KING 

without  missing  that  of  any  year.  This  the  King  granted 
to  him,  as  long  as  India  lasted,  for  an  inheritance  of  his 
principal  heir.  In  addition  to  this,  he  gave  him  a  gratifi- 
cation of  twenty  thousand  cruzados  in  gold,  which  the  oflB- 
cials  carried  to  his  house,  and  he  granted  to  him  ten  quin- 
tals of  pepper  and  of  each  drug  to  distribute  amongst  his 
friends,  and  he  was  allowed  to  carry  all  his  goods  to  his 
house  without  paying  any  duty.  The  King  commanded  a 
proclamation  to  be  made  for  all  the  survivors  and  heirs  of 
the  deceased  sailors  to  come  and  receive  all  that  was  due  to 
them  [reckoning]  up  the  time  when  the  ships  entered  Lis- 
bon. To  each  of  the  masters  and  pilots  half  a  quintal  of 
each  drug  was  given,  with  the  exception  of  cinnamon  and 
mace,  because  the  ships  had  brought  little  of  it.  The  King 
prohibited  their  selling  any  of  it ;  they  were  only  to  use  it 
and  divide  amongst  their  friends.  To  the  heirs  of  the  de- 
ceased no  drugs  were  given,  only  there  was  given  to  them 
the  right  to  the  half  of  their  value.  All  this  was  done 
according  to  the  arrangements  made  by  Dom  Vasco.  The 
King  gave  a  grant  to  Nicolas  Coelho  of  three  thousand 
cruzados  per  month  for  all  the  time  that  the  voyage  had 
lasted,  and  one  quintal  of  all  the  drugs,  and  his  goods  free ; 
and  the  captaincy  of  a  ship  for  India  in  all  the  fleets  in 
I  which  he  might  choose  to  go,  which  he  might  give  away  or 
I  sell.  To  the  heirs  of  Paulo  da  Gam  a  the  King  gave  the 
I  half^  of  all  that  he  had  given  to  Dom  Vasco,  excepting  the 
taking  in  cargo  of  ginger.  On  the  whole,  great  favours  and 
recompenses  were  given  to  one  and  all ;  because,  at  that 
time,  the  quintal  of  pepper  was  worth  in  Lisbon  eighty 
cruzados ;  that  of  cinnamon  one  hundred  and  eighty ;   that 

^  '  This  is  another  instance  of  the  niggardly  disposition  of  D,  Manuel; 
Charles  V  promised  Magellan  and  Ruy  Faleiro's  heirs  all  the  advantages 
and  honours  granted  to  Magellan,  in  case  he  or  Ruy  Faleiro  died  on  the 
voyage,  and  of  the  discovery  being  effected  through  their  instructions. 
This  grant  by  Charles  V  will  be  printed  with  Magellan's  voyage. 


TO    THE    CAPTAINS    AND    CREWS    OF    THE    FLEET.  275 

of  cloves  two  hundred ;    that  of  ginger  one  hundred  and 
twenty ;  that  of  mace  three  hundred ;  and  the  quintal  of 
nutmeg  one  hundred.     With  these  grants  and  salaries  all 
remained  rich  and  satisfied.     The  King  in  his  great  happi- 
ness gave  great  praises  to  the  Lord,  who  had  vouchsafed 
such  great  favour  to  him  at  the  commencement  of  his  reign ; 
he  sent,  through  the  Bishop  of  Guarda,  an  offering  to  Our 
Lady  of  Guadelupe ;  he  went  with  Dom  Vasco  to  offer  the 
necklace  which  the  King  of  Cananor  had  given,  with  some 
rich  stuffs,  and  a  bag  full  of  each  kind  of  drug,  and  a  piece 
of  benzoin  for  the  use  of  the  convent.     He  also  gave  a  large 
offering   to    the    monastery    of  Belem,   and   to   other  holy 
houses,  and  convents  of  nuns,  that  all  might  give  thanks 
and  praises  to  the  Lord  for  the  great  favour  which  He  had 
shown  to  Portugal ;  this  was  also  strongly  enjoined  in  all 
the  sermons  and  stations  throughout  all  the  churches.     The 
King  with  the  Queen  went  in  solemn  procession  from  the 
cathedral    to    Sam    Domingo,    where    Calcadilha    preached 
on  the  grandeur  of  India,  and  on  the  so  great  and  miracu- 
lous discovery  of  it  which  the  Lord  had  granted,  and  the 
good  beginning  which  had  been  made  for  whatever  more 
might  please  the  Lord.     So  that  he  greatly  stimulated  and 
inclined  the  hearts  of  men  to  go  thither  to  win  honour  and 
profit,  such  as  they  saw  in  the  case  of  those  who  had  come 
from  thence.     Then  the   King  shortly  after  arranged  for 
sending  to   India  another  large  fleet  of  great  and  strong 
ships  which  could  stow  much  cargo,  and  which,  if  they  re- 
turned in  safety,  would  bring  him  untold  riches  :  all  this 
was  talked  over  and  arranged  with  Dom  Vasco,  to  whom 
the  King  gave  a  patent,  by  which  he  was  to  go  as  captain- 
major  in  any  fleet  which  should  sail  for  India ;  and  by  it  he 
would  be  able  to  take  the  captaincy,  notwithstanding  its 
having  been  given  to  any  other  person,  and  he  could  put 
himself  in  a  fleet  which  might  already  be  at  Belem  on  the 
point  of  departure  ;  and  in  any  fleet  in  which  he  might  go 


276  DURATION    OF    THE    VOYAGE. 

as  captain-major  he  might  remove  or  appoint  the  captains 
of  the  ships  according  to  his  will  and  pleasure,  notwith- 
standing that  the  ships  had  already  got  captains,  since  the 
King  gave  him  all  power  to  make  and  unmake  in  the  fleet 
aU  that  he  chose,  without  the  King's  remaining  on  that 
account  under  any  obligation  towards  them. 

Reckoning  up  from  the  day  that  Dom  Vasco  left  Lisbon 
until  the  day  on  which  he  entered  it,  he  went  thirty-two 
months  in  this  voyage,^  in  which  it  pleased  the  Lord  in  His 
mercy  that  it  should  have  been  for  His  holy  service,  for 
which  God  the  Most  High  be  praised,  as  it  appears  at  the 
present  day  by  the  great  exaltation  of  His  holy  Catholic 
faith,  and  the  wonderful  increase  of  so  many  Christian  com- 
munities in  all  parts  of  India,  which  it  has  pleased  Him  to 
grant  to  us  in  our  days.  All  which  may  it  be  for  His  holy 
praise  for  ever.     Amen. 

»  Camoens,  Canto  x,  144. 
Assi  forao  cortando  o  mar  sereno, 
Com  vento  sempre  manso,  &  nunqua  irado, 
At5  que  ouverao  vista  do  terreno, 
Em  que  nacerao,  sempre  desejado  : 
Entrarao  pela  foz  do  Tejo  ameno, 
E  k  sua  patria,  &  Rey  temido,  &  amado, 
O  premio,  &  gloria  dao,  porque  mandou, 
E  com  titulos  novos  se  illustrou. 

144. 
Thus  went  they  ploughing  the  appeased  main 
With  always  prosperous  gale,  and  always  fair  ; 
Till  sight  long  vrisht,  much  long'd  for,  they  obtain 
Of  that  dear  earth  where  first  they  suck't  the  air. 
Sweet  Tagus's  mouth  they  enter  once  again  : 
Where  to  their  King  and  master  (whom  they  fear 
And  love)  for  having  sent  them,  the  renown 
They  give,  and  add  new  titles  to  his  crown. 

Fanshaip. 
Osorio  and  Damian  de  Goes  say  that  Gama  left  Portugal  with  one 
hundred  and  forty-eight  men,  and  returned  with  fifty-five. 


THE    SECOND    VOYAGE    OF    VASCO    DA    GAMA: 

FROM    THE    ''LENDAS    DA    INDIA"    OF 

GASPAR   CORREA. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  Fleet  of  Dom  Vasco  da  Gama,  with  which  he  went  to  India  in  the 

year  1502. 

The  King  our  sovereign^  Dom  Manuel,  was  very  mindful, 
with  the  great  regret  which  he  felt  in  his  heart,  of  the 
treachery  which  the  King  of  Calecut  had  committed  towards 
Pedralvarez  Cabral,  who,  when  he  arrived  from  India,  at 
once  related  it  to  him,  and  he  had  promised  to  send  him 
again  with  a  much  larger  fleet,  and  well  equipped,  in  order 
to  make  war  upon  Calecut,  and  take  vengeance  on  it,  since 
he  had  more  right  on  his  side.  With  this  recollection,  as 
the  time  had  arrived,  he  ordered  large  ships  to  be  prepared 
for  lading ;  and  they  were  ten  in  number,  into  which  was 
put  much  beautiful  artillery,  with  plenty  of  munitions  and 
weapons,  all  in  great  abundance,  and  supplies  of  everything 
most  fitting  for  the  voyage  and  their  return  to  the  kingdom ; 
and  they  carried  good  men-at-arms,  and  captains,  and  gen- 
tlemen of  birth,  and  Pedralvarez  Cabral  went  as  captain- 
major.  All  this  was  done  and  ordained  by  Vasco  da  Gama, 
whom  the  King  charged  with  doing  it  all,  for  in  the  affairs 
of  India  the  King  ordered  that  he  should  do  everything. 
When  the  fleet  was  quite  ready  to  depart  to  Belem,  and  the 
King  was  one  day  talking  about  the  affairs  of  the  fleet,  and 
of  how  well  equipped  and  well  supplied  it  was  with  every- 
thing, the  King  said  :  "  Everything  is  much  to  my  satisfac- 


/ 


278  VASCO    DA    GAMA    CLAIMS    THE    COMMAND 

tion,  but  I  pray  the  Lord  that  Pedralvarez  may  be  as  lucky 
with  this  fleet  and  voyage  as  Dom  Vasco  was  with  his ; 
because,  although  we  know  Pedralvarez  to  be  an  excellent 
man,  he  is  not  very  fortunate  in  affairs  of  the  sea/'  The 
King  had  already  said  this  in  other  conversations,  and  the 
Queen  had  said  to  Dom  Vasco  that  po  one  ought  to  go  to 
sea  except  him,  because  God  had  shown  him  so  great 
favour.  Dom  Vasco,  perceiving  that  the  King  would  re- 
joice at  his  making  this  voyage,  and  inflamed  by  the  desire 
to  serve  him,  and  grieving  much  at  the  evil  which  Calecut 
had  done,  grieving  also  at  the  state  of  affairs  in  India,  as  if 
they  belonged  to  him  because  he  had  discovered  it  with  so 
many  hardships  and  risks  of  his  life,  and  knowing  that  the 
King  had  a  disinclination  to,  and  want  of  confidence  in,  the 
doubtful  fortune  of  Pedralvarez  Cabral,  he  settled  in  his 
heart,  after  taking  counsel  with  himself,  to  say  to  the  King: 
"  Sire,  my  inclination  prompts  me  much  to  go  in  this  fleet 
and  make  this  voyage ;  wherefore  I  entreat  your  Highness 
so  to  allow  it  for  your  service ;  and  this  favour  which  I  beg 
now,  you  have  already  granted  me  by  this  letter/'  He 
then  drew  out  from  his  sleeve  and  presented  the  letter  by 
which  the  King  granted  and  gave  to  him  the  chief  command 
of  all  the  fleets  which  might  go  out  of  Portugal  to  India,  in 
which  he  might  choose  to  embark,  and  notwithstanding  any 
impediment  he  might  take  this  command,  even  though  the 
fleet  should  be  already  at  Belem  ready  to  go  across  the  bar, 
in  which  case  he  would  have  only  the  space  of  three  days  in 
which  to  embark ;  and  the  King  bound  himself  to  give 
satisfaction  to  any  captain-major  to  whom  he  had  thus 
given  such  a  fleet,  and  this  was  expressed  with  much  force 
and  explicitness,  without  the  King  being  able  to  disengage 
himself  in  any  case.  The  King,  on  seeing  this  letter,  to- 
/  gether  with  D.  Vasco's  request,  at  once  showed  great  satis- 
faction, and  D.  Vasco  said  to  him :  "  Sire,  the  King  of  Cale- 
cut   arrested    me,    and    treated    me    with    contumely,    and 


w 


OF  A  FLEET  INTENDED  FOR  CABRAL.  279 

because  I  did  not  return  there  to  avenge  myself  of  that  in- 
'  jury,  he  has  again  committed  a  greater  one ;  on  which 
'  account  I  feel  in  my  heart  a  great  desire  and  inclination  to 
go  and  make  havoc  of  him,  and  I  trust  in  the  Lord  that  He 
will  assist  me,  so  that  I  may  take  vengeance  of  him,  and 
that  your  Highness  may  be  much  pleased :  for  which  reason 
I  entreat  you  to  do  me  the  favour  which  I  beg,  and  to 
satisfy  Pedralvarez  Cabral  with  many  favours,  which  he 
well  deserves,  and  if  he  pleases  let  him  go  in  the  fleet  of 
the  next  year/'  The  King  dissembled  the  great  joy  of  his 
heart,  saying:  ^'D,  Vasco,  I  thank  you  much  for  your  good 
will  for  my  service,  and  I  shall  be  pleased  if  you  stay  here 
for  this  year,  and  that  Pedralvarez  go  now  as  it  has  been 
ordained."  To  this  D.  Vasco  replied,  and  said :  "  Sire,  I 
promise  your  Highness  as  long  as  I  live  never  to  turn  back- 
wards in  your  service,  either  in  word  or  deed :  and  so  I  will 
do  on  this  occasion,  for  your  Highness  has  got  no  reason 
for  infringing  the  favour  granted  to  me  by  letter,  and  by 
not  complying  with  it  you  would  greatly  aggrieve  me,  and 
it  would  seem  to  me  that  I  remained  cut  off  from  other 
greater  favours."  The  King  answered  him  :  "  D.  Vasco,  I 
do  not  expect  to  aggrieve  you,  but  to  increase  your  state 
with  greater  favours,  as  from  you  I  hope  for  good  service, 
and  will  deprive  you  of  nothing  which  I  have  given  you. 
In  this  I  have  no  other  hindrance  save  the  offence  to  Pedral- 
varez, and  the  loss  which  he  will  experience  in  his  ventures, 
for  all  which  I  will  satisfy  him  :  but  I  hold  him  to  be  so 
good  a  servant  of  mine  that  he  will  forget_everything  in  , 
order  that  my  word  may  not  be  broken."  ]?  Vasco  said  : ' 
"  Sire,  in  this  there  is  no  other  offence  than  what  he  may 
choose  to  take  of  his  own  will,  and  this  same  ought  to  be 
against  me,  since  I  am  to  blame  for  coming  so  late  to  this 
decision :  on  which  account  I  bind  myself  with  respect  to 
the  ventures  of  merchandise  which  he  has  embarked,  to 
bring  them  all  back  to  him  laid  out  in  goods,  if  he  will 


v/ 


280  CABRAL    YIELDS    HIS    COMMAND    TO    GAMA. 

send  a  factor  of  his  own,  and  he  will  see  the  service  which 
I  will  do  him  in  this ;  and  his  other  expenditure  for  other 
things  and  provisions,  I  will  take  it  all  according  to  his 
list  upon  myself,  with  two  thousand  cruzados  from  my  ship- 
ping house  in  addition  for  a  horse,  upon  which  he  may  ride 
till  the  coming  year,  when  your  Highness  will  provide  him 
with  another  more  profitable  fleet  than  this ;  although  the 
man  who  meets  with  disasters  at  sea  ought  to  fly  from  it."  ^ 
Then  the  King  summoned  Pedralvarez  and  entreated 
much  to  let  go  that  fleet,  in  order  that  he  might  comply 
with  his  troth,  because  it  belonged  to  D.  Vasco,  and  he 
would  give  him  all  the  other  fleets  in  which  he  might  go  in 
the  absence  of  D.  Vasco,  who  for  this  trouble  would  recom- 
pense him,  and  he  would  lose  nothing  of  all  his  expendi- 
ture. Pedralvarez  was  a  man  of  gentle  disposition,^  and 
was  already  aware  of  what  was  passing;  he  wished  to 
please  the  King,  so  that  he  should  be  in  greater  obligation 
towards  him,  and  he  quickly  answered  :  "  Sire,  I  am  yours, 
so  also  is  the  fleet,  and  I  shall  esteem  myself  very  fortu- 
nate if  your  Highness  should  receive  a  service  from  me  in 
this  matter."  The  King  said  to  him  :  "  It  will  be  very 
much  for  my  service  if  you  do  not  receive  any  aff'ront." 

r- 

J' Pedralvarez  Cabral  lost  seven  ships  out  of  thirteen  :  he  discovered 
Brazil  by  accident,  by  having  stood  out  too  much  into  the  ofling  to 
avoid  the  headlands  of  the  Guinea  coast. 

2  Barros'  account  of  this  change  of  command  is  very  different;  he 
says  that  the  fleet  was  composed  of  twenty  sail,  five  of  which  were  to 
remain  in  India,  and  these  five  were  to  sail  first  under  Vicente  Sodre  : 
he  says  that—"  Pedralvares  Cabral,  when  he  saw  this  separation  of  the 
fleet,  and  the  instructions  given  by  the  King  to  Vicente  Sodre,  which 
made  him  almost  independent  of  him,  was  dissatisfied  :  and  as  he  was  a 
man  with  great  delicacy  and  sensitiveness  about  points  of  honour,  he 
made  some  requisitions  upon  this  business,  in  which  the  King  did  not 
satisfy  him.  Finally  he  did  not  go,  and  the  King  gave  the  whole  fleet 
to  Vasco. da  Gama,  with  whom  Vicente  Sodre  sailed  in  company,  and 
he  was  designated  aa  Gama's  successor."  Damian  de  Goes  agrees  with 
Barros, 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    FLEET,  281 

Pedralvarez  replied  :  "  Sire,  if  the  will  of  your  Highness  is 
done,  that  is  my  glory."  And  he  kissed  the  King's  hand, 
who  thanked  him  much  with  very  complimentary  words. 


CHAPTER  II. 


IIow  D.  Vasco  da  Gama  increased  the  number  of  the  fleet,  and  the 
captains  whom  he  made,  upon  which  he  sailed  for  India  in  the  year 
1502. 

As  soon  as  the  fleet  was  made  over  to  D.  Vasco,  which  con- 
sisted only  of  ten  large  ships  of  burden,  he  at  once  got 
ready  besides,  five  lateen  rigged  caravels,  which  he  caused  to 
be  well-equipped,  because  he  hoped  to  make  war  with  them, 
and  he  had  the  necessary  artillery  put  into  them,  stowed 
below  in  the  hold,  and  all  the  equipments  were  in  great 
abundance,  because  the  King's  officers  gave  everything  for 
the  fleet  which  he  asked  for,  as  such  were  the  King's  orders  ; 
and  all  this  was  got  ready  in  a  few  days.  D.  Vasco  ap- 
pointed the  captains,^  who  were  these  :  in  the  flagship  Snn 
Jeronymo,  Vicente  Sodre,  a  relation  of  his  ;  in  the  Lionarda, 
D.  Luis  Coutinho  ;  in  the  Leitoa,  Fernan  d'Atouguia ;  in 
the  Batecahello,  Gil  Fernandes  de  Sousa ;  in  the  8an  Paulo, 
Alvaro  d'Ataide ;  in  the  San  Miguel,  Gil  Mattoso.  These 
six  ships  were  the  largest,  and  the  others  which  were  smaller 
were  to  remain  in  India  if  convenient,  and  if  there  was  no 
cargo  for  them,  namely:  the  Bretoa,  Francisco  Marecos;  San 
Rafael,  Diogo  Fernandes  Correa,  who  was  to  be  factor  at 
Cochym ;  the  Vera  Cruz,  Ruy  da  Cunha ;  Sayita  Elena, 
Pero  Affonso  d'Aguiar ;  and  the  captains  of  the  caravels 
were  :  in  the  Santa  Martha,  Joao  Rodrigues  Badarcas ;    in 

'  Barros  names  as  the  captains  who  sailed  with  Gama,  D.  Luis  Cou- 
tinho, son  of  D.  Gonzalo  Coutinho,  Francisco  da  Cunha  of  the  Terceira 
Islands,  Joao  Lopes  Perestrello,  Pedraffonso  d'Aguiar,  Gil  Matoso,  Ruy 
de  Castanheda,  Gil  Fernandes,  Diogo  Fernandes  Correa,  to  be  factor  at 
Cochym,  and  Antonio  do  Campo. 


282  ESTEVAN    DA    GAMA    APPOINTED. 

the  Fradeza  Joao  Lopes  Perestrello  ;  in  the  Salta  na  palha, 
Antao  Vaz  ;  in  the  Estrella,  Antonio  Fernandes  j  in  the 
Garrida,  Pero  Rafael.  In  these  fifteen  sail  were  eight 
hundred  men  at  arms^  honourable  men,  and  many 
gentlemen  of  birth  with  the  captain-major  and  others  his 
relations  and  friends,  with  the  captains.  The  soldiers  had 
three  cruzados  a  month,  and  on  shore  one  for  their  main- 
tenance, and  [the  right  to  ship]  two  quintals  of  pepper  to 
the  kingdom  every  eighteen  months,  embarked  with  their 
own  money,  for  the  freight  of  which  they  were  to  pay  the 
twenty-fourth  part,  which  was  one  in  twenty  ;^  which 
the  King,  on  account  of  his  devotion  and  offerings  to  God, 
dedicated  to  the  house  of  Our  Lady  of  Belem,  for  the  build- 
ing of  her  house,  for  which  he  had  much  devotion,  and  had 
disposed  for  his  tomb,  and  that  of  his  descendants,  as  it  be- 

r  came  ;  God  be  greatly  praised.  Since  D.  Vasco  was  deter- 
mined to  leave  in  India  a  fleet  and  a  supply  of  men  to  lord  it 

\  over  the  Indian  sea,  all  which  he  conversed  about  with  the 
king,  who  was  greatly  pleased  at  it,  because  the  expenditure 

j  they  would  incur  at  sea  would  be  gained  by  the  prizes  which 
they  would  make,  and  it  was  settled  that  five  small  vessels 

.    should  be  prepared,  of  which  the  King  gave  the  chief  com- 

j  mand  to  Estevan  da  Gama,  a  relation  of  D.  Vasco,^  who  was 
to  sail  in  May,  which  was  the  commencement  of  the  summer, 
in  order  to  see  what  weather  they. would  meet  with.  The 
King  was  pleased  that  his  servants  should  receive  their  palace 
stipends,^  besides  their  pay  and  allowances,  and  each  one 
should  have  his  chest  free,  upon  which  they  should  only  pay 
a  twentieth  for  Belem,  and  they  were  not  to  bring  any  spices 
in  it. 

>  De  que  haviao  de  pagar  de  frete  o  quarto  e  vintena,  que  era  de 
vinte  hum. 

*  Barros  says  Estevan  was  the  son  of  Aires  da  Gama,  and  cousin- 
german  of  Vasco  da  Gama.  Osorio  calls  him  Gamse  fratrem  patruelem 
the  son  of  his  father's  brother. 

'  Moradia,  an  allowance  for  provisions  given  to  dependents  of  the 
palace. 


GAMA    SETS    SAIL    ON    HIS    SECOND    VOYAGE.  283 

Also  in  this  fleet,  at  the  advice  of  D.  Vasco,  the  King  made 
a  diminution  in  the  salaries  and  allowances  of  spices  of  the 
masters  and  pilots,  bombardiers,  and  oflScers  ;  but  it  was  not 
a  matter  with  which  they  were  made  discontented,  but  only 
that  they  had  to  pay  a  twentieth  to  Belem.  This  twentieth 
was  always  given  to  Belem  on  the  return  of  this  fleet,  which 
was  in  the  year  1503,  until  the  year  1522,  when  the  King 
Dom  Joao,  his  son,  who  succeeded  him  on  the  throne, 
abolished  it ;  and  he  took  it  away  because  the  monastery  was 
nearly  completed ;  and,  as  there  were  still  certain  things  to 
be  done,  he  assigned  to  it  a  limited  sum  each  year,  which 
was  paid  to  it  by  the  India  House  on  the  arrival  of  the 
ships  ;  and  this  was  because  the  house  of  Belem  was  very 
well  supplied  with  superabundance  of  wealth  of  ornaments, 
and  above  all,  because  the  King  (D.  Manuel)  had  left  to  it  at 
his  death  furniture  which  was  worth  more  than  five  thousand 
cruzados.  To  continue,  when  the  fleet  was  quite  ready,  it 
set  sail  in  the  river  of  Lisbon,  cruising  about  with  a  great 
show  of  banners  and  standards,  and  crosses  of  Christ  on  all 
the  sails,  and  saluting  with  much  artillery  ;  so  they  went  to 
Belem,  where  the  crews  were  mustered,  each  captain  with 
his  crew,  all  dressed  in  livery  and  galas,  and  the  King  was 
present,  and  shewed  great  favour  and  honour  to  all.  As  the 
weather  did  not  serve  for  going  out  to  sea,  they  remained 
there  three  days,  during  which  many  confessed  and  com- 
municated ;  and  on  the  day  of  our  Lady  of  March  (the  25th) 
there  was  a  solemn  mass  and  preaching,^  at  which  the  King 
was  present  with  all  his  court ;  and  as  in  the  afternoon  the 
wind  was  fair,  the  fleet  set  sail ;  and  the  King  went  in  his 

^  Barroa  says  that  before  the  departure  of  the  fleet  on  the  30th 
January,  the  King  heard  mass  at  the  cathedral  of  Lisbon,  and  after- 
wards made  a  speech  and  related  the  merits  of  D.  Vasco  da  Gama,  and 
made  him  admiral  of  the  Indian,  Arabian,  and  Persian  seas,  and  gave  him 
his  flag :  he  says  Gama  sailed  on  the  10th  February.  Osorio  says  the 
fleet  left  Belem  on  the  10th  of  February. 


284  VOYAGE    TO    THE    CAPE. 

barge,  and  came  near  each  sliip  to  dismiss  them  with  good 
wishes,  and  all  saluting  him  with  trumpets,  the  whole  fleet 
went  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  caravels  with 
square  sails  set,  so  as  to  navigate  under  them  whenever  it 
was  convenient.^ 


CHAPTER  III. 

Of  the  navigation  of  the  fleet,  and  of  what  happened  during  the  voyage 
until  arriving  at  Mozambique,  and  what  was  done  there. 

The  fleet,  having  left  Lisbon,  made  its  navigation  after  the 
manner  which  had  been  discovered,  going  to  Guinea,-  where 
they  found  frequent  calms,  so  that  many  people  fell  sick,  and 
Feman  d'Atouguia  who  was  in  the  Leitoa  nova,  which  was  a 
large  ship,  died  of  fever,  and  the  captain-major  ordered  Pero 
Afibnso  d'Aguiar  to  pass  over  to  the  Leitoa ;  and  he  made 
Pero  de  MendoQa,  an  honourable  gentleman  who  accompanied 
him,  captain  of  the  ship  of  Pero  AfFonso.  But  as  the  Lord 
gave  them  wind  they  got  out  from  Guinea,  and  made  the 
coast  of  Brazil,  which  was  already  discovered,  and  they 
ran  along  as  far  as  Cape  Santo  Agostinho,  whence 
they  crossed  over  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  and  when 
they  found  themselves  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  isles, 

•  It  is  stated  further  on,  in  cap.  v,  that  on  reaching  the  coast  of 
India  the  caravels  rigged  their  lateen  sails  and  mounted  their  artillery. 

*  Barros  says  that  they  anchored  at  Porto  Dale,  near  Cape  Verde,  on 
the  28th  of  February,  and  remained  there  six  days  taking  in  water,  and 
here  they  met  with  a  caravel  coming  from  Mina,  Captain  Fernando  de 
Montaroyo,  which  was  bringing  two  hundred  and  fifty  marks  of  gold. 
The  admiral  showed  this  to  Gaspar  da  India,  and  to  the  ambassadors  of 
Cochim  and  Cananor,  in  order  to  undo  the  impression  produced  upon 
them  by  the  Venetians,  who  had  told  them  that  Portugal  was  poor. 
On  Sunday,  March  6,  they  landed  on  an  island  called  Palma,  in  the 
jx)rt  of  Bezeguiche,  where  they  heard  mass.  Barros  says  nothing  of 
Brazil. 


SHIP    LOST    ON    THE    BANK    OF    SOFALA.  285 

where  the  Moorish  pilot  said  that  the  storm  had  fallen  on 
Pedralvarez  Cabral,  they  paid  great  attention  to  the  sails, 
and  kept  a  careful  watch  by  day,  and  especially  at  night 
with  all  the  small  sails  taken  in,  and  sailed  under  the  large 
sails  without  the  studding  sails,  and  by  day  under  all  sail. 
However,  they  met  with  a  storm  which  separated  them  all, 
and  which  lasted  six  days,  but  followed  their  course  :  there 
only  remained  with  the  captain-major  two  ships  and  three 
caravels  which  kept  up  with  him.  The  weather  then  became 
milder,  and  they  spread  all  sail,  and  went  on  their  course, 
and  later  they  found  another  ship  and  two  small  vessels. 
The  others  all  ran  for  Mozambique,  as  all  had  instructions 
that  if  they  parted  company  they  were  to  go  to  Mozambique 
and  wait  for  the  captain-major.  Thus  they  sailed  on,  and, 
judging  that  they  had  passed  beyond  the  Cape,  they  stood 
in  to  sight  the  land,  and  ran  along  it.  When  they  were  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  of  Corriei:^tes„another  storm 
struck  them,  also  blowing  in  their  course,^  which  also  again 
separated  them.  With  this  storm  Pero  de  Mendo9a  was 
lost  at  the  entrance  of  the  banks  of  Sofala,  for  he  grounded; 
and  being  lost,  next  day  there  came  to  him  Joao  Rodrigues 
Badar9as  and  Francisco  Marecos,  -who  saved  the  crew  a^d 
goods,  and  only  the  hull  was  lost,^  to  which  they  set  fire,  and 
went  to  Mozambique,  where  the  captain-major  was  with  the 
rest  of  the  fleet,  which  had  arrived  there  much  before  he 
came ;  and  they  had  remained  there  at  sea  without  landing, 
because  so  the  instructions  directed  them.  From  the  shore 
people  brought  what  they  had  to  sell,  which  they  paid  for 
well,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owners. 

As  soon  as  the  captain-major  arrived  at  Mozambique,  the 

•  Assi  de  viagem. 

>  This  ship  was  the  Santa  Elena.  Barros  says :  "  in  this  voyage,  as 
far  as  the  bank  of  Sofala,  he  met  with  a  few  storms,  which  unrigged 
some  of  his  ships."  He  does  not  mention  the  loss  of  the  St.  Helena\ 
Osorio  mentions  its  loss  and  the  salvage  of  the  crew  and  goods. 


286  GAMA    ARRIVES    AT    MOZAMBIQUE. 

Sheikh  at  once  went  to  the  ship  with  a  present  of  cows  and 
sheep,  goats  and  fowls,  which  he  had  ready  for  him,  for  he 
already  knew  that  he  was  the  first  Portuguese  with  whom  he 
had  had  war.^  The  Sheikh  on  entering  wished  to  throw 
himself  at  his  feet  and  ask  for  pardon.  The  captain-major 
received  him  with  pleasure,  and  did  him  honour,  and  ordered 
that  he  should  be  well  paid  for  what  he  had  brought,  and  he 
ordered  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth  to  be  given  him,  with 
which  he  went  away  well  pleased  :  and  he  and  all  his  people 
served  the  captain-major  as  if  he  had  been  the  lord  of  the 
country,  because  all  made  great  profits  with  our  people,  who 
went  about  on  shore  without  giving  offence,  or  doing  any 
injury,  which  had  been  very  strictly  prohibited  them  by  the 
captain-major.  He  on  the  day  of  his  arrival  at  once  ordered 
them  to  land  some  timber  which  they  had  brought  already 
wrought  and  fitted  for  building  a  caravel,  and  there  was 
nothing  more  to  do  than  join  it  together  and  pitch  and  caulk 
it,  with  such  preparation  that  in  twelve  days  it  was  launched 
into  the  sea  -^  where  they  finished  its  upper  works ;  and  it 
was  named  the  Pomposa,  and  Joao  Serrao,^  an  honourable 
gentleman,  was  appointed  its  captain.  Also  when  Vasco  de 
Gama  arrived  at  Mozambique,  the  King  having  given  orders 
to  him  to  send  and  discover  Sofala  and  establish  there  trade 
and  barter,  by  reason  of  the  information  which  Sancho  de 
Toar  gave  the  King  of  the  affairs  of  Sofala  (as  has  been  al- 
ready narrated  in  the  history  of  the  fleet  of  Pedralvarez 
Cabral),*he  at  once  sent  thither  Pero  Affonso  d'Aguiar  with 

»  Barros  says  this  was  not  the  same  Sheikh  as  the  one  at  the  time  of 
Gama's  first  voyage. 

'  Osorio  and  Barros  both  differ  from  Correa,  and  say  that  Gama 
went  to  Sofala  with  four  ships,  whilst  he  sent  Vicente  Sodre  to  Mozam- 
bique, where  he  put  together  the  caravel,  which  was  almost  ready  when 
Gama  arrived  at  Mozambique  on  the  4th  of  June,  fifteen  days  after 
Sodre  had  arrived  there.  Osorio  here  gives  a  description  of  the  sailing 
qualities  of  caravels,  and  of  their  going  close  to  the  wind. 

'  Joan  Serrano,  the  companion  of  Magellan  in  1519. 

♦  Pedralvares  Cabral,  on  his  return  from  India,  in  the  beginning  of 


PERO    AFFONSO    SENT    TO    SOFALA.  287 

two  caravels,  which  carried  various  kinds  of  Cambay  stuffs 
and  beads  and  other  things  for  trade,  for  they  got  some 
things  which  the  Sheikh  had ;  with  all  which  things  much 
profit  was  made,  because  for  a  cloth  which  was  worth  a 
hundred  and  fifty  reis,  they  gave  a  weight  of  gold  which  was 
worth  seven  hundred  and  fifty  reis.  Pedro  AfTonso  got 
much  information  from  the  sheikh  of  the  manner  of  the 
trade,  and  as  to  what  was  given  for  each  kind  of  the  cloths 
which  he  carried  and  for  other  things ;  and  the  sheikh  gave 
him  a  good  pilot  who  knew  the  way.  The  captain-major 
sent  a  large  present  to  the  King,  who  was  a  heathen  cafre, 
for  already  in  Sofala  they  were  well  informed  of  our  affairs, 
and  had  been  well-satisfied  when  Sancho  de  Tear  had  gone 
there. 

Pero  Affbnso  set  sail,  and  in  a  few  days  arrived  at  Sofala, 
and  on  entering  the  river,  he  sent  on  shore  a  Mozambique 
man  who  already  knew  our  speech,  and  he  sent  to  ask  leave 
of  the  King  to  come  and  speak  to  him  and  give  him  the 
message  which  he  had  brought  from  the  King  of  Portugal's 
captain-major,  who  was  in  Mozambique.  The  King  was 
pleased,  and  sent  him  word  to  come  and  welcome,  and 
he  sent  him  his  ring,  which  he  gave  as  a  safe  conduct ;  upon 
which  Pero  Affonso  at  once  went,  well-dressed,  with  twenty 
men  also  well -clothed,  and  the  King  received  him  with 
much  honour,  and  made  him  sit  down  on  the  mats,  upon 
which  he  was  seated  with  the  chief  men  of  the  country.  Pero 
Affonso  presented  to  him  a  very  fine  piece  of  scarlet  cloth, 
and  other  pieces  of  fine  coloured  cloths,  and  a  large  Flanders 
mirror,  and  knives  and  red  barret-caps,  and  a  quantity  of 
cut-glass  beads  strung  together,  with  which  the  King  was 

1501,  sent  Sancho  de  Toar  in  a  small  vessel  from  Mozambique  to  Sofala: 
he  was  accompanied  by  the  interpreter  Gaspar  da  India  and  a  Melin- 
dian  pilot,  and  some  Mozambique  merchants  with  Cambay  stuffs ;  he 
was  well  received  by  the  King  of  Sofala.  Sancho  de  Toar's  vessel 
reached  Lisbon  last  of  all  Cabral's  fleet,  in  September  1501. 


288  NEGOTIATIONS    AT    SOFALA. 

much  pleased,  and  at  once  took  them  up  in  his  hand,  and 
looked  at  them  for  a  space,  praising  them  much  to  his 
people. 

Then  Pero  AfFonso  said,  that  the  captain-major  sent  him 
there  to  learn  from  him  whether  he  would  be  pleased  to  be 
great  friends  with  the  King  his  sovereign,  who  had  a  great 
desire  to  establish  peace  and  friendship  with  him  for  ever  : 
which  peace  and  friendship  were  for  the  purpose  of  send- 
ing to  his  country  the  Portuguese  with  merchandise,  to  trade, 
as  did  the  other  merchants  who  came  to  his  country,  giving 
him  their  merchandise  for  the  same  prices  as  those  for  which 
the  other  merchants  also  gave  theirs.  When  the  King  had 
heard  all  this,  and  talked  it  over  with  his  people,  he  replied 
that,  he  dwelt  in  his  country  without  doing  harm  to  anyone, 
and  that  he  did  much  good  to  all  that  came  to  his  country, 
especially  to  the  merchants,  because  from  them  he  received 
great  profit,  and  he  would  treat  in  the  same  way  the  Portu- 
guese who  might  come  to  his  country  to  trade  as  did  the  other 
merchants  ;  and  as  he  had  already  said  this  to  the  other  Por- 
tuguese who  had  come  thither,  so  now  he  again  repeated  it, 
and  he  would  be  glad  to  do  good,  so  that  later  evil  might 
not  ensue  to  him.  To'  this,  Pero  AfTonso  answered  that  such 
would  never  happen,  but  that  if  he  was  a  good  friend  to  the 
King  of  Portugal,  this  peace  would  be  lasting  for  ever,  as 
long  as  he  acted  truly,  and  he  would  be  like  a  brother  of  the 
King  of  Portugal.  At  this  the  King  showed  great  satis- 
faction, and  reaffirmed  all  that  he  had  said,  swearing  to  it 
by  the  sun  and  the  heavens,  and  upon  his  head  and  his  belly, 
that  he  would  fulfil  all  as  long  as  he  lived,  and  that  he  would 
buy  as  much  merchandise  as  they  brought,  and  would  give 
for  it  what  he  gave  to  the  other  merchants,  which  was  a 
price  that  had  been  a  long  time  established.  As  a  pledge 
of  the  truth  of  this,  he  took  off  from  his  thumb  a  gold  ring 
and  gave  it  to  Pero  Affonso,  and  then  gave  as  a  present  to 
the  captain-major  a  bundle  of  strings  of  small  gold  beads. 


TRADE  ESTABLISHED  AT  SOFALA.  289 

which  they  call  'pinrjo,  and  which  weighed  a  thousand  mith- 
kals,  and  each  mithkal  is  worth  five  hundred  reis ;  and  he 
gave  another  for  the  King  which  weighed  three  thousand 
mithkals,  and  one  to  Pero  Afonso  of  five  hundred  mithkals, 
and  he  said  that  he  gave  that  to  the  King  of  Portugal  as  a 
sign  of  everlasting  brotherhood  as  long  as  they  complied 
with  it  also  towards  him^  and  did  no  harm  to  his  trade  and 
merchants^  nor  to  his  country.  In  confirmation  of  the  truth 
of  all  he  said,  the  King  touched  with  his  right  hand  the 
hands  of  all  his  people  who  were  there  present,  and  this  was 
all  the  confirmation  of  their  troth,  for  they  had  no  custom  of 
writing.  Pero  Afonso  gave  it  all  in  writing,  as  it  had  been 
said,  signed  by  himself  and  six  men.  When  it  was  finished 
the  paper  was  read,  and  the  interpreter  declared  it  all,  at 
which  the  King  was  much  amazed  with  his  people,  for  they 
had  never  seen  people  write,  and  they  said  that  the  paper 
spoke  by  art  of  the  devil,  and  the  King  took  it  in  his  hand. 
So  on  that  day  Pero  Afonso  returned  to  the  caravels,  whither 
the  King  sent  him  fowls  and  eggs,  yams  and  other  things 
which  they  had  in  the  country. 

The  next  day  Pero  Afonso  returned  to  the  King,  saying 
that  he  would  be  glad  to  buy  and  sell  things,  at  which  the 
King  was  pleased,  and  told  him  to  order  what  he  had  to  be 
brought  and  it  should  be  sold  at  once.  Then  they  brought 
everything  before  the  King,  who  ordered  the  merchants  of 
the  country  to  come  there,  and  they  separated  the  goods, 
each  kind  by  itself,  and  having  counted  it  all,  they  weighed 
gold  in  small  scales,  and  upon  each  kind  of  cloth  they  placed 
its  price,  in  the  gold  which  each  one  was  worth.  Then  the 
King  said  that  those  stuffs  were  worth  the  gold  which  was 
on  the  top  of  them,  and  that  they  might  take  it,  and  he  said 
that  his  dues  were  already  accounted  for  in  the  weighing,  as 
the  merchants  paid  them.  Pero  Afonso  ordered  the  gold  to 
be  taken  up,  and  continued  talking  with  the  King,  and  this 
manner  of  buying  and  selling  seemed  to  him  to   be  very 


290  GAMA    SAILS    FROM    MOZAMBIQUE 

'good,  because  there  was  not  the  haggling  there  always  is 
with  merchants  ;  and  he  said  that  he  would  give  an  account 
of  it  all  to  the  captain-major,  and  he  asked  leave  as  he  wished 
to  depart.  The  King  said  that  he  must  send  a  man  of  his 
own  to  speak  to  the  captain-major,  and  to  present  to  him 
what  he  had  sent,  and  bring  back  another  paper  from  his 
hand.  Pero  Afonso  said  to  him  that  he  should  be  much 
pleased.  The  King  then  delivered  to  him  with  his  own 
hand  the  man  he  had  spoken  of,  upon  which  Pedro  Affonso 
took  leave  and  went  to  embark.  The  King  sent  him  goats 
and  things  to  eat,  and  he  returned  to  Mozambique,  where  he 
did  not  find  the  captain-major,  who  had  already  sailed.  He 
then  delivei'ed  the  messenger  to  the  sheikh,  and  said  that  ho 
should  wait  there,  and  that  when  the  captain-major  returned, 
then  he  would  give  him  the  answer.  Pero  Afonso  took  in 
what  he  required  and  set  sail  for  Melinde,  whither  the 
captain-major  had  gone,  and  had  left  him  a  message  to  that 
effect  in  his  letter  in  the  hands  of  the  factor  Gonzalo  Baixo, 

,    who  had  remained  for  the  trade  of  Sofala. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

How  the  fleet  sailed  from  Mozambique,  and  the  captain-major  went  to 
the  city  of  (iuiloa,  and  made  the  King  of  it  a  tributary  of  the  King 
our  sovereign. 

The  captain-major  hurried  on  the  preparation  of  what  was 
necessary  in  Mozambique,  and  left  there  as  factor  Gonzalo 
Baixo,  with  ten  men  for  his  service,  and  goods  for  buying 
1  stuffs  for  Sofala,  and  [orders]  to  go  there  and  barter  them, 
or  to'  send  them  thither  by  Joan  Serrano  in  the  new  caravel, 
which  had  been  built  there;  which  he  left  there  for  that 
purpose  with  twenty  men  and  four  bombardiers, and  mariners, 
in  all  thirty   men,   and   two  heavy  pieces  and  some  small 


AND    ARRIVES    AT    QUILOA.  291 

artillery,  with  all  the  rest  that  was  requisite.  He  left  him 
a  minute  of  all  that  he  was  to  do  if  Pero  Alfonso  had  esta- 
blished the  trade,  and  if  not  they  were  all  to  follow  after 
him.  For  which  reason,  Pero  Alfonso,  on  his  arrival,  gave 
an  account  of  the  good  trade  which  had  been  established, 
and  of  what  he  had  brought  for  the  captain- major,  with  the 
messenger  of  the  King  ofSofala,  .whom  he  left  there,  and 
then  set  sail  to  follow  the  captain-major.  D.  Vasco  da 
Gama  departed  from  Mozambique  running  along  the  coast, 
,  and  being  fully  mindful  of  the  treachery  which  the  King  of 
vOuiloa  had  prepared  against  him,  which  the  King  of  Melinde 
in  his  letters  to  the  King  of  Portugal  and  to  D.  Vasco 
always  recalled  to  mind,  and  desirous  of  increasing  the 
King's  service,  he  decided  on  going  to  Quiloa  and  on  making 
its  king  a  tributary.  He  got  much  information  about  the 
affairs  of  that  city  from  a  pilot  whom  he  had  found  in 
Mozambique,  one  of  those  who  went  with  him  the  first  time 
to  Calecut,  and  who  (now)  embarked  with  him  to  go  to 
Melinde  in  his  ship.  The  captain-major  told  the  pilot  to 
shew  him  the  port,  and  that  he  wished  to  go  to  Quiloa, 
which  he  did ;  and  on  sighting  it,  he  entered  the  port  with 
the  whole  fleet,  which  anchored  round  the  city,  which  stands 
on  an  island  which  is  surrounded  and  encircled  by  the  sea 
water,  but  on  the  land  side  there  is  little  water,  which  at 
high  tide  is  knee-deep.^  The  city  is  large  and  is  of  good 
buildings  of  stone  and  mortar  with  terraces,  and  the  houses 
have  much  wood  works.  The  city  comes  down  to  the  shore, 
and  is  entirely  surrounded  by  a  wall  and  towers,  within 
which  there  may  be  twelve  thousand  inhabitants.  The 
country  all  round  is  very  luxuriant  with  many  trees  and 
gardens  of  all  sorts  of  vegetables,  citrons,  lemons,  and  the 
best  sweet  oranges  that  were  ever  seen,  sugar-canes,  figs, 
pomegranates,  and  a  great  abundance  of  flocks,  especially 
sheep,  which  have  their  fat  in  the  tail,  which  is  almost  the 
'  Que  com  mare  chea  polo  geolho,  D.  of  (lor's  MS. 


292  DEALINGS  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE 

size  of  the  body^  and  very  savoury.  The  streets  of  the 
city  are  very  narrow,  as  the  houses  are  very  high,  of  three 
and  four  stories,  and  one  can  run  along  the  tops  of  them 
upon  the  terraces,  as  the  houses  are  very  close  together  : 
and  in  the  port  there  were  many  ships. 
'''  /  A  Moor  ruled  over  this  city,  who  did  not  possess  more 
y  country  than  the  city  itself.  There  was  great  alarm  among 
.  the  people  on  seeing  so  great  a  fleet  enter  the  port ;  and  on 
'j  knowing  that  it  was  ours,  of  which  they  already  knew  so 
'\much  from  the  events  of  Mozambique  and  Melinde,  all  the 
people  felt  great  fear.  When  the  fleet  had  come  to  anchor, 
the  captain-major  sent  a  pilot  in  a  boat,  which  put  him  on 
shore,  and  by  him  he  sent  word  to  the  King  to  send  him 
a  man  of  his  own  through  whom  he  might  let  him  know 
what  he  came  to  seek.  When  the  pilot  gave  this  message 
to  the  King,  he  inquired  about  many  things,  touching 
which  the  pilot  could  not  give  him  any  information;  he 
then  at  once  sent  a  respectable  Moor  with  the  pilot,  who 
embarked  with  him  in  the  boat  and  went  to  the  ship,  where 
the  captain-major  said  to  him  :  "  Go  and  say  to  the  King 
that  this  fleet  is  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  lord  of  the  sea 
and  of  the  land,  and  I  am  come  here  to  establish  with  him 
good  peace  and  friendship  and  trade ;  and  for  this  purpose 
let  him  come  to  me  to  arrange  all  this,  because  it  cannot  be 
arranged  by  messages.  And  in  the  name  of  the  King  of 
Portugal  I  give  him  a  safe-conduct  to  come  and  return 
without  receiving  any  harm,  even  though  we  should  not 
come  to  an  agreement ;  and  if  he  should  not  come,  I  will  at 
once  send  people  on  shore,  who  will  go  to  his  house  to  take 
and  bring  him  :  and  with  respect  to  what  is  determined  in 
this  matter,  if  he  is  going  to  come,  do  you  return  at  once 
with  the  answer  j  and  if  he  does  not  choose  to  come,  do  not 
you  return  again,  because  then  I  will  order  to  send  and 
fetch  him." 

The  boat  took  the  Moor  back  again  on  shore  and  set  him 


WITH    QUILOA.  293 

on  the  beach,  and  returned  to  the  ship.  The  Moor  went  to 
the  King  and  gave  him  the  message ;  when  it  had  been 
heard  by  the  King  and  his  chief  men,  who  were  waiting 
with  him  to  see  what  it  would  be,  the  King  and  all  of  them 
were  much  amazed  and  alarmed,  because  if  our  people  were 
to  do  them  harm,  they  had  nowhere  to  take  refuge,  nor  anyone 
to  assist  them,  and  they  would  lose  all  they  had,  for  they 
could  not  save  anything  out  of  the  city.  The  King  talked 
with  them  all  about  this  matter,  and  having  held  a  councU 
upon  it,  he  sent  his  answer,  saying  to  the  captain-major 
that  he  should  send  him  a  signed  paper,  affirmed  upon  the 
head  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  to  the  effect  that  he  would  do 
him  no  harm,  nor  use  constraint,  and  would  allow  him  to 
return  to  land  freely,  and  upon  that  he  would  come  to  speak 
to  him  at  the  water  side,  and  if  the  captain-major  also  pro- 
mised that  if  they  did  not  agree,  he  would  not  do  any  in- 
jury to  the  city.  The  Moor  came  off  in  a  shore  boat  with 
this  message,  and  when  the  captain-major  heard  it,  he  at 
once  determined  to  put  pressure  upon  the  King  so  as  to 
make  him  render  tribute  to  the  King  of  Portugal,  or  if  he 
did  not  choose  to  do  so,  he  would  take  his  city :  and  with 
this  design  he  sent  him  the  safe-conduct  as  he  had  requested. 
The  fKing,  after  sending  to  ask  for  the  safe-conduct,  came 
to  aiiother  decision,  which  was  not  to  go  and  speak  with 
the  captain-major. 

There  was  with  the  King  a  very  rich  Moor,  and  the  chief 
man  of  the  city,  named  Mahomed  Arcone,  who  entertained 
thoughts  of  rising  up  against  the  King,  and  with  false  in- 
tentions he  said  to  the  King  that  he  ought  to  go  to  the 
captain-major  and  not  be  wanting  to  his  word,  because  the 
captain-major  would  not  violate  the  safe-conduct  which  he 
gave  him  ;  and  the  Moor  said  this  because  he  well  under- 
stood that  the  captain-major  would  not  let  the  King  go  un- 
less he  did  what  he  required  of  him,  during  which  some- 
thing might  intervene  by  means  of  which  he  might  be  made 


/ 


294  GAMA    EXACTS    TRinUTE 

King,  and  he  would  do  all  that  the  captain-major  wished  : 
and  he  pressed  the  King  so  much  to  go,  that  he^offered 
himself  to  ^o  with^him,  and  if  it  should  be  convenient  to  re- 
main as  a  hostage  for  him  until  the  agreements  were  com- 
pleted, upon  which  the.  King  took  confidence.  The  next 
day  he  came  to  the  strand  with  many  men-at-arms,  and  the 
captain  in  his  barge  and  the  other  captains  in  their  boats 
with  flags  and  the  men  gaily  dressed,  and  swivel-guns  in 
the  boats,  with  trumpets  and  kettledrums ;  on  approaching 
he  waited,  then  the  King  came  in  a  boat  with  some  of  his 
chief  men,  and  he  entered  the  boat  of  the  captain-major, 
who  received  him  with  much  honour,  and  made  to  him 
many  speeches  suitable  to  his  purpose,  telling  him  that4£ 
he  was  the  friend  of  the  King  of  Portugal  he  would  be  very 
powerful,  and  he  would  be  secure  for  ever  from  anyone 
doing  injury  to  his  city  and  port,  and  his  ships  would  navi- 
gate securely  wherever  he  chose  that  they  should  go,  and 
he  would  establish  a  trade  in  the  city  from  which  he  would 
derive  much  profit.  When  the  King  heard  this  he  was 
much  pleased,  saying  that  he  was  delighted  with  all  he  said, 
and  would  do  all  that  he  wanted,  because  now  he  truly 
believed  in  the  goodness  of  the  Portuguese,  of  whom  the 
contrary  had  been  related  to  him,  on  which  account  he  held 
himself  as  a  friend  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  for  ever,  as 
long  as  he  lived. .  Then  the  captain-major  said  to  him  that, 
since  he  thus  became  a  friend  of  the  King  his  sovereign,  ho 
must  also  do  as  did  the  other  kings  and  sovereigns  v/ho 
newly  became  his  friends,  which  was  that  each  year  he^ 
should  pay  a  certain  sum  of  money,  or  a  rich  jewel,  which 
they  did  thus  as  a  sign  that  by  this  yearly  payment  it  was 
known  that  they  were  in  this  good  friendship ;  because 
when  they  did  not  pay,  it  was  known  that  they  were  not 
friends  ;  and  therefore  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  do 
thus,  giving  each  year  a  jewel  or  money  as  he  best  pleased. 
When   the  King  heard  this,  he  became  very  sad,   saying 


FROM    THE    KING    OF    QUILOA.  295 

that  the  practices  of  good  amity  were  the  being  a  friend 
like  a  brother^  and  that  he  would  give  a  good  reception  to 
the  Portuguese  in  his  city  and  in  his  portj  and  would  order 
everything  to  be  given  thora  for  their  money ;  but  that  to 
have  to  pay  each  year  money  or  a  jewel  was  not  a  mode  of 
good  friendship^  because  it  was  tributary  subjection,  and 
was  like  being  a  captive,-  and  therefore  if  the  captain-major 
was  satisfied  with  good  peace  and  friendship  without  exac- 
tions, he  was  well  pleased,  but  that  to  pay  tribute  would  be 
his   dishonour;    and   therefore   he   did   not  wish    for    such 
friendship  with  subjection,  because  sons  would  not  choose 
to  have  such  with  their  own  fathers.  )  Then  the  captain- 
major  answered  him:    ''I  am  the  slave  of  the  King  my 
sovereign,  and  all  the  men  whom  you  see  here  and  who  are 
in  that  fleet  will  do  that  which  I  command ;  and  know  for 
certain,  that  if  I  choose,  in  one  single  hour  your  city  would 
be  reduced  to  embers,  and  if  I  chose  to  kill  your  people, 
they  would  all  be  burned  in  the  fire ;  and  when  you  saw 
that,  I  well  know  that  you  would  repent  of  what  you  now 
say,  and  you  would  then  give  much  more  than  what  I  now 
ask  for,  and  it  will  not  profit  you;  and  should  you  disbelieve 
that  I  would  do  this,  it  is  in  your  power  if  you  wish  to  see 
it  done  at  once  :  and  if  you  are  not  afraid  of  this,  go  on 

shore,  for  you  will  see  it  speedily."     The   King  replied : [ 

"If  I  had  known  that  you  intended  to  make  me  a  captive,  I 
would  not  haye  come,  but  have  fled  to  the  woods,  for  it  is 
better  to  be  a  jackal  at  large,  than  a  greyhound  bound  with 
a  golden  leash."  At  this  the  captain-major  became  very 
irate,  and  said  :  ''  There  is  no  Moor  who  will  be  on  good 
terms  until  they  do  him  harm,  therefore  go  at  once  to  your 
house,  for  I  promise  that  I  will  at  once  come  after  you." 
And  he  told  Gaspar  the  interprejter,jwho  spoke,  to  say,  in 
the  language  [of  the  country],  to  the  captains  that  they 
were  to  go  to  the  ships  and  bring  all  the  crews  armed  and 
go  and  burn  the  city.     This  Gaspar  said  aloud  in  the  Ian- 


296  NEGOTIATIONS    AT    QUILOA. 

guage  for  the  King  to  understand.  The  captain-major  told 
the  King  to  go  on  shore  and  fly  to  the  woods,  as  he  had 
greyhounds  who  would  be  able  to  catch  him  there,  and 
would  fetch  him  by  the  ears  and  drag  him  to  the  beach,  and 
that  he  would  take  him  away  with  an  iron  ring  round  his 
neck,  and  shew  him  throughout  India,  so  that  all  might  see 
what  would  be  gained  by  not  choosing  to  be  the  captive  of 
the  King  of  Portugal. 

The  King  and  those  that  were  with  him  did  not  know 
whether  they  were  alive  or  dead,  being  overcome  with  fear. 
Then  an  old  man  who  was  with  the  King  asked  leave  of  the 
captain-major  to  speak,  and  he  told  him  to  speak  all  that  he 
wished  in  security.  He  said :  "  Sir,  we  well  know  that  it  is 
in  your  power  to  do  all  that  you  say  and  much  more,  for 
your  might  is  the  greatest ;  and  Sir,  you  well  see  that  the 
King's  replies  are  without  counsel.  He  does  not  know 
whether  he  speaks  mistakenly  or  to  the  purpose ;  but  if  it 
were  your  pleasure  that  without  rage  or  anger  you  should 
allow  us  to  return  to  the  land,  the  King  would  hold  his 
council  undisturbed,  and  would  do  what  is  fitting  with  the 
counsel  of  his  people,  to  whom  he  will  relate  what  has 
passed  here."  The  captain-major  said :  "  Do  you  go  on 
shore,  for  I  have  already  told  you  that  you  may  go;  but  if 
you  who  are  here  are  four,  and  do  not  come  to  an  agree- 
ment with  me,  when  I  speak  to  you  what  I  have  spoken, 
what  will  it  be  on  shore,  where  you  will  be  many,  and  each 
one  will  speak  according  to  his  inclination,  you  being  the 
chief  men  who  will  have  to  be  there  in  the  council  ?  So 
that  there  is  no  need  to  talk  more  nor  to  answer,  for  which 
reason  I  tell  you  that  you  will  not  go  from  this  without 
first  settling  with  me  for  good  or  for  evil,  therefore  you 
may  answer  as  you  please,  for  whether  it  is  good  or  ill,  you 
will  go  in  safety  on  shore,  on  account  of  the  safe-conduct 
which  you  hold."  The  King  and  his  people  who  were  with 
him  talked  together  in  great  alarm  ;  then  the  King,  con- 


QUILOA  MADE  TRIBUTARY.  297 

strained  by  the  manifest  peril  in  which  he  saw  his  Hfe  and 
city,  and  counselled  by  his  people,  granted  all  that  the 
captain-major  asked,  begging  him  not  to  ad d^ afterwards^ 
further  demands,  which  the  captain-major  promised  him ; 
hei  said  that  he  would  at  once  give  some  bracelets  and  cer- 
tain pearls,  which  were  worth  five  thousand  cruzados,  which 
he  would  give  in  these  articles,  or  else  silver  and  gold  to 
that  amountj  Upon  this  he  at  once  sent  for  his  scribe  to 
come  from  the  shore,  with  a  leaf  of  gold,  upon  which  all 
was  written  down,  and  signed  by  the  King,  and  those  who 
were  with  him.  1  When  all  this  was  ended,  the  King, 
because  he  was  vexed  with  Mohamed  Arcone  for  having  in- 
duced him  to  come  there,  said  to  the  captain-major  that  he 
would  be  pleased  if  Mohamed  Arcone  remained  there  until 
he  sent  to  him  what  he  was  to  send ;  at  this  the  captain- 
major  was  pleased,  and  the  King  left  with  him  two  other 
Moors  besides.  Then  the  captain-major  bade  him  embark 
in  his  boat,  and  did  him  great  honour.  When  he  arrived 
on  shore,  he  was  received  by  his  people  as  one  whom  they 
saw  alive  and  had  thought  was  dead :  and  the  captain- 
major  got  back  to  his  ship,  and  ordered  the  Moors  to  be 
put  into  a  cabin,  and  good  watch  to  be  kept  over  them. 
The  King  then  sent  to  the  ships  many  boats  laden  with  re- 
freshments, a  portion  for  each  ship  and  caravel.  Then  the 
captain-major  sent  him  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  pieces 
of  coloured  silks,  with  which  the  King  was  pleased.  The 
fleet  remained  there  six  days,  all  the  crews  going  ashore  to 
amuse  themselves,  without  doing  any  injury  or  outrage, 
because  so  the  captain-major  had  ordered  it  to  be  pro- 
claimed under  pain  of  death;  and  no  one  dared  to  stir 
against  that,  because   they  had  great  fear   of  him.      But 


'  It  is  not  clear  whether  this  he  refers  to  the  King  or  to  the  captain - 
major,  whether  the  sentence  is  an  oifer  by  the  King,  or  an  injunction  by 
the  captain-major. 


298  QUILOA    MADE    TRIBUTARY. 

nevertheless  the  city  was  mucli  damaged,  because  no  one 
would  take  upon  himself  to  complain. 

The  captain-major  having  disposed  matters  for  his  de- 
parture,  he  told  the  Moors  to  send  to  the   shore  for  that 
which  the  King  had  to   send,   because  he  wished   to    go 
away.     The  Moors  had  sent  many  messages  to  the  King  to 
take  them  out  of  pledge;  but  the  King  sent  to  tell  Mahomed 
Arcone  to  pay  himself,   since  he  had   deceived  him,   and 
made   him    go    and    speak    with    the    captain-major;  upon 
which  many  messages  were  sent,  and  as  the  King  set  him- 
self against  paying,  the  Moor  told  the  captain-major  what 
the  King  said,  and  why  he  did  not  choose  to  pay.     The 
'captain-major  was  in  a  great  passion,  and  said:   "Since  you 
j  were  aware  of  this,  why  did  you  remain  for  your  bad  king?" 
JThen  he  ordered  them  to  be  stripped  naked,  and  bound 
'  hand  and  foot,  and  put  into  his  boat,  and  to  remain  thus 
i  roasting  in  the  sun  until  they  died,  since  they  had  deceived 
'  him,  and  when  they  were  dead,  he  would  go  on  shore  and 
seek  the  King,  [and  he  said :]    "  I  will  do  as  much  to  him, 
I  and  I  will  lade  these  ships  with  the  wealth  of  the  city,  and 
the  women  and  children  shall  be  captive  slaves.'^ 

This  having  been  told  to  the  King,  he  sent  to  tell  the 
captain-major  secretly  that  he  had  not  sent  the  money  only 
in  order  that  he  should  ill-treat  Mohamed  Arcone,  who  was 
bad  and  proud,  and  had  done  him  many  injuries,  and  that 
he  should  therefore  let  him  stay  in  the  sun  for  his  vengeance, 
for  as  to  the  money  that  was  safe.  The  Moors  seeing 
themselves  at  the  point  of  death,  Mahomed  Arcone,  who 
was  very  rich,  sent  to  fetch  from  his  house  a  jewelled  neck- 
lace worth  ten  thousand  cruzados,  which  he  gave  to  the 
captain-major,  who  at  once  ordered  them  to  be  carried  on 
shore.^  When  the  King  knew  of  this,  he  sent  to  the 
captain-major  some  pieces  of  rich  cloth  and   gold  jewels, 

»  It  is  satisfactory  to  see  tliat  Arcone's  treason  and  plotting  did  not 
escape  unpunished. 


ACCOUNT    OF    BAKROS.  299 

with  which  he  departed,  with  the  intention  of  inducing  the 
King  to  order  a  fortress  to  be  built  there,  which  would  be 
very  profitable  for  the  trade  of  Sofala,  and  that  the  King  of 
Quiloa  should  make  the  fortress,  and  the  people  of  the  city, 
which  was  veiy  rich,  should  pay  the  expenses  of  the  captain 
and  soldiers.  This  was  done,  as  I  will  relate  further  on.^ 
In  the  city  there  were  some  very  beautiful  women,  who, 

'  Barros  relates  that  Gama  arrived  at  Quiloa  on  the  12th  of  July,  and 
that  the  city  was  in  terror  at  the  salvos  of  artillery  which  the  admiral 
fired  to  frighten  the  people ;  and  as  the  King  had  been  very  cirn'ning 
with  Cabral  and  Joao  de  Nova,  he  did  not  use  delay  which  would  have 
allowed  the  King  time  to  bring  men  into  the  island  to  defend  it,  but  he 
used  other  more  conclusive  methods  by  which  he  made  the  King  come 
to  speak  to  him  in  a  boat  with  five  of  his  chief  men,  when  the  admiral 
was  already  going  to  land  and  put  the  city  to  fire  and  sword.  The  ad- 
miral received  this  king,  whose  name  was  Ibrahim,  better  than  he  de- 
served :  at  last  he  gave  him  a  letter  from  the  King  D.  IManuel,  and 
treated  with  him  upon  it,  that  he  should  become  the  vassal  of  the  King 
of  Portugal  so  as  to  remain  in  friendship  with  him,  and  under  his  pro- 
tection, paying  a  tribute  of  five  hundred  mithkals  of  gold,  a  weight 
which  coined  might  equal  five  hundred  and  eighty-four  cruzados,  this 
more  as  a  sign  of  obedience  than  for  the  quantity.  In  return  for  which 
the  admiral  sent  him  a  patent  in  the  name  of  King  Manuel,  which 
stated  that  he  accepted  hun  as  a  vassal  with  that  tribute,  promising  to 
defend  and  protect  hira,  etc.  Besides,  he  sent  him  a  standard  of  the 
royal  arms  of  this  kingdom  in  sign  of  the  honour  of  vassalage  which  he 
received,  and  some  presents  for  himself.  This  standard  was  raised  upon 
a  spear,  and  carried  in  a  boat  accompanied  by  others  containing  many 
people  in  gay  clothing,  with  trumpets ;  and  the  King  came  to  receive  it 
on  the  beach,  saluting  it  as  though  he  recognised  in  it  a  sign  of  his  pro- 
tection. He  took  it  in  his  own  hands,  and  carried  it  for  a  good  space, 
and  then  delivered  it  to  a  chief  man  of  the  Moors,  who  went  round  all 
the  city,  and  the  people  behind  him,  shouting  Portugal^  Portugal !  At 
last  it  was  placed  in  sight  of  our  ships  on  a  tower  of  the  King's  houses. 
When  this  solemnity  was  ended  the  admiral  took  leave  of  the  King  and 
also  of  Mahomed  Enconim,  who  was  a  principal  cause  of  the  King's 
coming  into  that  obedience,  and  the  admiral  took  much  pleasure  in  see- 
ing him,  as  he  had  been  a  faithful  friend  of  the  captains  who  had  gone 
there. 

Osorio's  account  agrees  with  that  of  Correa ;  he  says  that  the  King 
gave  Mahomed  Anconi  as  a  pledge  for  the  payment  of  the  tribute,  and 
withheld  it  in  order  that  Gama  might  ill-treat  the  hostage. 


/ 


300  WOMEN    TAKEN    INTO    THE  BHIPS. 

on  account  of  being  much  shut  up  by  the  Moors,  from  their 
1  custom  of  being  very  jealous,  were  very  captive  and  ill-' 
!  treated.  For  this  reason  many  fled  during  these  days,  and 
came  to  the  Portuguese,  who  took  them  in  secretly  on 
board  the  ships,  and  kept  them  in  strict  concealment.  All 
these  women  asked  to  be  made  Christians,  as  they  would 
rather  be  captives  of  the  Christians  than  wives  of  the 
Moors.  The  captains,  on  hearing  of  this,  and  that  the 
women  had  run  away,  spoke  to  them,  but  they  persisted  in 
their  wish  to  become  Christians  ;  and  the  captains  reported 
it  to  the  captain-major,  who  sent  Gaspar  the  interpreter 
round  the  ships  to  speak  to  the  women,  and  see  what  they 
said.  He  said  to  the  captain-major  :  "  Sir,  it  is  useless  for 
me  to  go  and  speak  to  them,  for  I  well  know  that  they  will 
sooner  fling  themselves  into  the  sea  than  return  on  shore ; 
therefore  do  you  decide  what  seems  good  to  you  with  re- 
spect to  them.''  Then  the  captain-major  talked  it  over 
with  the  captains,  and  said  that  "  the  Christianity  which 
these  women  asked  for  was  not  on  account  of  any  good 
understanding  which  they  possessed  of  our  holy  faith,  but 
solely  in  order  to  see  themselves  freed  from  bad  treatment 
by  the  Moors,  together  with  the  allurements  which  had  been 
used  towards  them  by  those  who  had  stolen  them ;  and 
although  this  was  the  case  at  present,  in  future,  with  time, 
they  might  become  perfect  Christians.  For  this  it  would 
be  reason  to  take  them  away,  however  numerous  they  might 
be,  if  we  were  now  going  to  Portugal,  even  though  it  was 
a  serious  inconvenience  for  the  consciences  of  the  crews, 
and  for  other  objections,  that  so  many  women  should  go  in 
ships  amongst  so  many  men,  from  which  so  many  evils 
might  arise,  which  would  be  worse  in  the  sight  of  God  than 
it  would  be  to  leave  them  behind  now,  which  looked  ill  on 
account  of  their  request  for  Christianity.  In  this  I  hold  the 
chief  objection  to  be  that  of  the  consciences  of  the  crews, 
who  will  forget  their  souls  with  the   conversation  of  the 


GAMA    SENDS    THE    WOMEN    ON    SHORE.  301 

women,  and  they  will  forget  that  every  moment  death  is 
close  at  hand  :  this  is  the  chief  thing  which  obliges  me  to 
send  these  women  back  again  on  shore,  and  my  heart 
grieves,  for  it  seems  like  inhumanity ;  but  it  is  fitting  that 
I  should  do  it.  At  least  the  credit  will  remain  to  us  of 
being  reasonable  people,  and  who  keep  good  faith." 

The  captain-major  ordered,  therefore,  all  the  women  to   j 
be    brought   to   his   ship,   and  that   only   some  little  girls    j 
should  be  left,  if  there  were  any  who  had  not  been  touched 
by  men.     This  he  ordered  to  be  proclaimed  under  pain  of    I 
death  throughout  the  ships  and  caravels.     All  the  women 
were  brought  to  the  captain-major,  and  they  exceeded  two_ 
hundred :  he  ordered  them  to  be  all  carried  on  shore,  and 
sent  with  them  Vicente  Sodre,  the  captain  of  his  ship,  with 
Gaspar  the  interpreter,  to  tell  the  King  that  he  much  en- 
treated him  that  no  harm  should  be  done  to  those  women, 
because,  if  when  he  returned  from  India  he  learned  that  any 
injury  had  been  done  them,  he  would  break  the  peace  on 
that  account,  and  would  destroy  the  city;  and  this  he  swore 
by  the  head  of  the  King  his  sovereign;  and  if  the  King  of 
Quiloa  could  not  comply  with  this,  as  he  much  entreated, 
that  then  he  should  send  them  back  again,  and  he  would 
make  Christians  of  them  and  take  them  away. 

The  women,  on  seeing  that  they  were  to  be  carried  on 
shore,  wished  to  throw  themselves  into  the  sea,  and  some 
did  throw  themselves  in,  but  were  picked  up  again.  When 
they  had  been  led  before  the  King,  and  the  captain-major's 
message  had  been  given  him,  some  people  also  had  already 
complained  to  him  that  our  men  had  stolen  and  carried  off 
their  wives,  then  the  King  sent  to  say  that  it_should  be_ 
done  as  the  captain-major  desired :  and  he  at  once  sent 
several  men  to  proclaim  throughout  the  city  that  whoever 
missed  a  woman  should  come  to  his  palace  to  fetch  her,  pro- 
claiming at  the  same  time  the  conditions  with  which  he 
would   deliver  them  up,  which  were,  that  if  they  did  any 


\/ 


302  FORTY    WOMEN    LEFT    WITH    GAMA. 

'  harm  to  the  women,  they  would  be  put  to  death  for  it,  and 
I,  their  property  confiscated.  Therefore,  whoever  wished  to 
do  so,  should  come  at  once  and  fetch  the  women,  or  else  he 
would  send  them  back  to  the  captain-major.  After  that, 
many  came  and  took  away  the  women ;  but  there  remained 
as  many  as  forty,  whose  husbands  came  to  tell  the  King 
that  they  did  not  want  them.  All  this  passed  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Vicente  Sodre,  whom  the  King  asked  to  witness  it 
all.  The  King  then  sent  great  thanks  to  the  captain -major, 
and  to  ask  him  to  say  what  was  to  be  done  with  the  women 
that  remained,  whose  husbands  would  not  take  them  back, 
for  they  cried  out  that  they  were  already  Christians,  and 
that  water  had  been  poured  upon  their  heads ;  for  which 
reason  he  begged  him  much  to  send  and  fetch  them,  for  if 
they  remained  on  shore,  all  of  them  would  be  killed.  The 
captain-major  seeing  this,  of  necessity  sent  to  fetch  them  to 
his  ship,  for  he  did  not  trust  to  anyone  else,  and  ordered 
them  to  be  put  into  locked  cabins,  and  in  India  he  placed 
them  in  Cananor  and  Cochym.^  The  younger  ones  of  these 
;  women,  who  were  many,  were  the  first  women  who  went 
from  India  to  Portugal.  With  this,  the  fleet  being  equipped 
with  everything  it  required,  it  set  sail  for  Melinde. 

1  Gama  seems  to  have  acted  with  much  discretion  in  this  matter,  and 
to  have  got  out  of  a  disagreeable  business  with  the  least  amount  of  dis- 
satisfaction to  all  parties. 


GAMA    ARRIVES    AT    MELINDE.  303 


CHAPTER   V. 

How  the  fleet  having  sailed  from  Quiloa  went  to  Melinde,  and  at  sea 
met  with  the  fleet  of  Estevan  da  Gama,  which  left  the  kingdom  in 
May,  and  of  the  things  which  the^ptain-major  did  at  Onor  and 
Baticala. 

While  the  fleet  was  making  its  way  along  the  coast  to 
Melinde,  Pero  Afonso  d'Aguiar,  who  came  from  Mozam- 
bique, appeared  in  the  offing,  at  which  there  was  much 
pleasure ;  and  Pero  AfFonso  came  to  the  captain-major  in 
his  small  boat  to  give  him  an  account  of  what  he  had  left 
accomplished,  and  went  on  with  him  as  far  as  Melinde.  On 
arriving  in  sight  of  the  port,  the  King,  who  already  had  the 
news,  was  ready,  with  great  joy  at  the  arrival  of  his  great 
friend  Dom  Vasco  da  Gama;  on  the  fleet  coming  in,  it 
anchored  with  a  great  salvo  of  artillery.  The  King  with 
haste  got  into  a  boat  which  he  had  ready,  and  went  to  the 
captain-major,  bringing  after  him  boats  spread  over  with 
green  boughs,  accompanied  by  festive  musical  instruments ; 
the  boats  were  laden  with  things  to  eat,  a  boat  for  each 
ship.  The  captain-major,  on  being  aware  that  it  was  the 
King  who  was  coming,  got  into  his  boat  with  great  haste, 
and  went  to  receive  the  King  in  the  sea :  the  King  got  into 
his  boat,  and  both  embraced  as  if  they  were  brothers  and 
great  friends,  exchanging  great  courtesies ;  thus  they  went 
to  the  ship,  where  the  King  was  seated  on  a  handsome 
chair  and  dais,  which  had  been  already  prepared.  Immedi- 
ately afterwards  all  the  captains  came,  and  were  received 
with  much  pleasure  by  the  King,  and  all  shewed  him  great 
honour  and  courtesy,  seeing  that  the  captain-major  shewed 
him  the  same  respect  and  honour  as  he  did  to  the  King  of 
Portugal.  Then  the  captain-major  presented  to  him  the 
rich  presents  which  the  King  of  Portugal  had  sent  with  his 


?i04  MEETING    WITH    THE    KING    OF    MELINDE. 

letters,  in  which  he  had  written  to  him  words  of  very  en- 
during affection.  The  captain-major  also  presented  to  the 
King  other  gifts  from  himself,  in  recognition  of  the  great 
good  which  he  had  done  him  in  putting  him  in  the  way  to 
reach  India,  from  which  such  great  honour  had  accrued  to 
him,  and  to  all  his  lineage.  All  which  the  King  received 
with  great  satisfaction.  Thus  they  continued  conversing  for 
a  good  space,  the  King  inquiring  about  his  health,  and  his 
voyage,  giving  him  also  an  account  of  how  Joan  da  Nova 
had  been  equipped,  and  of  what  had  happened  to  him  in 
India.  The  King  entreated  the  captain-major  much  to  go 
on  shore  and  remain  in  his  houses  with  his  captains,  and  to 

S'  send  all  the  crews  to  rest  and  amuse  themselves  on  shore, 
since  the  city  was  his,  the  same  as  his  own.  The  captain- 
major  said  to  him  :  "  Sire,  you  well  know  how  much  I  am 
your  friend,  and  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  which  I 
would  not  do  for  your  service,  even  expending  my  life  to 
satisfy  your  honour;  but  what  you  ask  me  to  do  is  a  matter 
of  amusement,  which  I  am  unable  to  do,  for  it  would  be 
losing  the  time  for  the  voyage  on  which  I  am  going,  of 
which  it  is  so  incumbent  on  me  to  give  a  good  account  to 
the  King  my  sovereign  :  neither  will  I  allow  the  crews  to 
go  on  shore,  so  that  they  may  do  no  injury,  for  I  know  that 
they  do  it,  and  no  one  of  your  people  shall  have  cause  to 
make  a  complaint,  for  me  to  have  to  punish  them;  therefore, 
as  my  friend,  do  you  be  satisfied  with  that  which  is  so 
much  my  duty."  To  this  the  King  replied  that  it  should  bo 
as  he  wished,  and,  embracing  him  several  times,  he  took 
his  leave,  and  as  he  went  on  shore  the  captain-major  went 
with  him  to  the  beach,  and  conveyed  him  in  his  boat, 
which  for  that  purpose  was  fitted  out  with  a  dais  and 
crimson  velvet,  and  a  handsome  chair  with  brocade  cushions, 
all  which  he  ordered  to  be  sent  to  the  King's  house ;  he 
then  returned  to  the  ship.  The  captains,  with  their  men 
gaily  dressed,  went  to  accompany  the  King  as  far  as  his 


EECEPTION    AT    MELINDE.  305 

palace  with  sound  of  trumpets^  and  he  dismissed  them  with 
much  courtesy,  and  they  returned  to  the  ships.  The  cap- 
tain-major ordered  that  they  should  send  on  shore  only 
persons  to  buy  for  the  crews  what  was  required,  and  that 
on  no  account  were  they  to  take  anything  without  paying 
for  it,  for  he  well  knew  that  the  King  would  order  that  no 
money  should  be  taken  for  anything,  which  they  were 
strictly  to  prohibit  the  buyers  from  allowing.  The  King 
sent  to  proclaim  that  the  things  which  the  Portuguese 
wished  to  buy  were  to  be  put  outside  the  doors,  and  that  no 
money  was  to  be  taken  from  them,  because  he  would  send 
and  pay  for  everything. 

The  King  sent  to  each  ship  and  caravel  so  much  victuals 
dressed  after  their  fashion,  that  there  was  abundance  for 
all  the  crews,  also  much  fresh  vegetables ;  this  he  always 
did  each  day,  as  long  as  the  fleet  was  there,  which  was  for  three 
days,  while  they  stayed  there  to  take  in  several  tanks 
which  the  King  had  ordered  to  be  made,  and  the  captain- 
major  ordered  to  be  paid  for :  and  he  was  much  pleased 
with  them,  for  they  were  a  very  good  equipment  for  the 
fleet;  he  took  them  especially  for  the  large  ships  of  burden, 
because  they  set  free  a  large  space  which  was  occupied  by 
barrels ;  these  tanks  were  afterwards  filled  with  water,  and 
they  took  from  on  shore  all  that  was  wanted,  which  was 
pitch  for  repairing  the  sides  of  the  ships,  and  much  coir, 
with  which  they  at  once  made  hawsers  for  all  the  fleet  and 
other  cordage.  These  were  made  in  great  abundance  with 
the  machines  which  our  people  set  up  on  the  beach,  and 
with  the  help  of  many  people  whom  the  King  sent,  for  they 
worked  by  night  and  hy  day.  So  the  captain-major  at  once 
arranged  for  his  departure,  because  his  coming  there  had 
only  been  for  the  sake  of  seeing  the  King,  of  whom  he  was 
so  great  a  friend.  And  when  the  day  for  the  departure  was 
fixed,  the  King  did  not  choose  that  the  captain-major  should 
come  on  shore  to  take  leave  of  him,  but  he  chose  to  come 


306  PRESENTS    OP    THE    KING   OP   MELINDE. 

to  bid  him  farewell  in  his  own  ship  to  do  him  greater 
honour;  and  he  came  with  all  his  people  with  great  re- 
joicingSj  and  the  captain-major  received  him  with  trumpets 
and  kettle-drums,  and  a  salute  of  artillery,  and  he  went 
down  into  the  boat  to  take  the  King  by  the  hand  and  con- 
duct him  on  board.  The  captains  then  came  there  immedi- 
ately to  take  leave,  and  the  King  wished  to  dine  there  with 
the  captain-major  and  captains,  and  they  had  a  great  ban- 
quet with  much  mirth.  But  there  came  so  much  victuals 
from  the  shore  that  it  was  a  marvel  the  great  abundance 
which  remained  over.  When  the  dinner  was  over,  the  cap- 
tains took  leave  and  went  to  their  ships.  The  King  gave  to 
each  of  them  rich  stuflFs,  and  remained  conversing  with  the 
captain-major  in  his  cabin  about  his  pleasure  and  satisfac- 
tion, and  he  gave  him  a  valuable  jewelled  necklace  for  the 
King  of  Portugal,  worth  ten  thousand  cruzados,  and  others 
of  not  much  less  value  for  himself,  with  other  rich  gifts, 
amongst  which  he  gave  him  a  bedstead  of  Cambay,  wrought 
with  gold  and  mother-of-pearl,  a  very  beautiful  thing ;  and 
he  gave  him  his  letters  for  the  King,  and  a  chest  full  of 
(rich  stuffs  of  various  kinds  for  the  Queen,  and  a  white  em- 
1  broidered  canopy  for  a  bed,  the  most  delicate  piece  of 
needlework,  like  none  other  that  had  ever  been  seen ;  this 
had  been  made  in  Bengal,  a  countiy  where  they  make 
wonderful  things  with  the  needle,  and  which  were  seen 
later.  After  this  the  King  took  leave,  and  would  not  suffer 
the  captain-major  to  come  out  of  his  ship,  and  entreated 
him  to  set  sail,  as  he  would  like  to  witness  his  sailing  since 
the  wind  was  fair.  This  the  captain-major  did,  for  the 
anchor  was  already  apeak  as  he  had  commanded,  and  he 
loosed  the  sails,  which  the  other  ships  did,  as  they  also  had 
got  in  the  slack  of  their  cables.  The  King  remained  looking 
on  whilst  all  set  sail.  This  was  on  the  18th  of  August  of 
this  present  year.^ 
•  The  circumstantial  nature  of  this  account  of  the  visit  to  Melinde, 


ESTEVAN    DA   GAMA   JOINS    THEFLEET.  307 

The  next  day,  when  it  dawned^  and  they  had  already  lost 
sight  of  the  land,  the  caravels  which  were  foremost,  sighted 
some  sails  far  out  to  sea,  and  at  once  made  them  some 
signals  by  firing  guns,  which,  being  heard,  the  ships 
watched,  and  a  caravel  came  up  to  the  captain-major  to 
bring  him  word,  and  he  held  on  his  course  until  they  got 
sight  of  one  another,  and  they  came  up  to  the  ships  with 
flags  and  standards ;  and  one  of  them,  which  carried  a  flag 
at  the  peak,  came  under  the  stern  of  the  captain-major  and 
saluted,  hauling  down  the  flag  from  the  peak,  and  the 
sailor  in  the  top  saluted  by  waving  it.  To  this  the  flag- 
ship replied  with  trumpets  and  kettle-drums  and  great 
shouts,  and  the  ship  fired  much  artillery ;  these  were  five 
ships  which  had  remained  in  Lisbon  getting  ready  when 
Dom  Vasco  set  sail,  and  which  sailed  two  months  later. 
Their  captain-major  was  Estevan  da  Gama,  a  relation  of  the 
captain-major ;  the  other  captains  were  Vasco  Fernandes 
Tinoco,  Ruy  Loren90  Ravasco,  Diogo  Fernandes  Peteira, 
Joao  Fernandes  de  Mello.  Antonio  de  Saldanha  was  com- 
ing in  these  ships  with  instructions  to  go  with  them  on  a 
cruise  to  the  Straits  of  Mekkah,  and  did  not  come,  as  he 
fell  ill  at  the  time  of  their  departure.^ 

and  the  obligations  which  Gama  was  under  to  the  King  of  Me- 
linde,  make  Correa's  relation  more  probable  than  that  of  Barros  and 
Osorio,  who  both  say  that  Gama  did  not  reach  Melinde  on  account  of 
the  currents,  but  put  into  a  bay  eight  leagues  or  thirty  miles  below 
Melinde,  where  the  King  sent  him  a  letter  by  Luis  de  Moura,  one  of 
the  banished  men  whom  Pedralvares  Cabral  had  left,  with  offers  of 
assistance  :  and  Gama  replied  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  ihere  except  to 
visit  the  King  which  he  desired,  and  that  as  the  weather  did  not  permit, 
when  he  returned  from  India  he  hoped  he  should  have  better  weather  to 
enable  him  to  visit  him.  Castanheda  says  Gama  touched  at  Melinde, 
and  visited  the  King  there. 

■  Barros  says  that  on  leaving  the  bay  near  Melinde  Gama  fell  in  with 
Estevan  da  Gama  and  three  ships  out  at  sea,  and  that  after  they  arrived 
at  Anchediva  the  rest  of  the  whole  of  the  fleet  arrived,  except  Antonio  do 
Campo,  who  did  not  go  that  year  to  India  Barros  names  the  captains 
of  Estevan  da  Gama's  flotilla — Lopo  Mendes  de  Vasconcellos,  Thomaz 


308  OAMA    MAKES    THE    COAST    OF    INDIA. 

The  captain-major  hove  to  until  Estevan  da  Gama  got 
into  a  boat  and  cast  off,  and  came  aboard  of  him.     This  the 
other  captains  did  also,  with  some  honourable  persons  who 
came  along  with  them.^     The  captain-major  received  them 
with  fitting  honours,  and  they  related  to  him  that  they  had 
fallen  in  with  such  weather  that  they  had  never  met  with 
storms  until  arriving  at  Mozambique,  where  they  took  in 
wood  and  water,  and  they  had  come  in  haste  to  arrive  at 
Melinde.     So  that  there  was  much  joy  in  all  the  fleet  with 
the  letters  which  they  brought  from  those  from  whom  they 
desired  them,  and  also  many  letters  from  the  King  to  the 
captain-major:  with  these  matters  they  spent  the  whole  day 
until  the  evening,  when  the  captains  returned  to  their  ships, 
and  hoisted  in  their  boats,  and  continued  on  their  course. 
Whilst  crossing  the  open  sea,  they  met  with  a  heavy  gale, 
so  that  the  sea  rose  very  much,  and  the  caravels  ran  under 
all  sail,  because  otherwise  the  seas  would  overtake  them,  as 
they  came  astern,  so  that  they  left  the  fleet  behind.    The  cap- 
tain-major not  seeing  the  caravels  was  much  put  out,  believ- 
ing that  they  had  met  with  some  disaster.     The  gale  abated 
and  the  caravels  reached  land  at  Dabul,  where  they  rigged 
their  lateen  sails,  and  mounted  their  artillery,  and  anchored 
in  a  bay  below  Dabul  towards  Goa,  but  [the  men]  did  not 
go   out  on   shore.     Many  Indian  boats  came  to  see  what 
they  could  hear  of  our  ships,  and  brought  fowls,  figs,  and 
eggs  to  sell,  which  our  men  paid  for  in  vintens  of  silver,  and 
they  gave  six  fowls  for  one  vintem    \_Iess   than   tivopence^ . 
They  remained  there  two  days  and  then  went  along   the 
coast.     The  fleet  all  together  made  the  land  at  Dabul  and 

de  Carmona,  Lopo  Dias,  a  servant  of  D.  Alvaro,  brother  of  the  Duke  of 
Bragan(;a,  and  John  de  Bonagracia,  an  Italian.  Osorio  says  that  Estevan 
da  Gama  had  joined  Gama  already  at  Quiloa  with  five  ships,  which 
made  the  fleet  to  consist  of  nineteen  ships,  that  of  Antonio  do  Campo 
having  disappeared. 

'  The  presence  on  board  of  these  gentlemen  may  account  for  the  dis- 
crepancy of  the  names  of  the  captains  given  by  Correa  and  Barros. 


HOSTILITIES    AT    ONOR.  309 

ran  along  the  coast,  except  the  ship  of  Joao  Fernaudes  do 
Mello,  which  disappeared  running  thus  along  the  coast. 
There  came  with  the  caravels  two  ships,  which  had  also 
been  driven  apart  by  the  wind,  and  they  sailed  together, 
and  the  fleet  also  going  by  night,  passed  well  out  to  sea 
without  seeing  them,  and  from  the  caravels  they  only  saw 
the  lantern,  and  went  after  it,  thinking  that  it  was  a  Moor- 
ish ship,  and  intending  to  capture  it.  When  it  dawned 
they  saw  the  fleet,  and  went  to  salute  the  flag-ship;  running 
thus  along  the  coast  about  as  far  as  Angediva,  they  saw 
three  sail  close  in  shore.  The  captain-major  sent  the  caravels 
to  them ;  but  they  were  fustas  of  thieves,  which,  with  oars 
and  sails,  got  into  a  river  called  Onor,  where  there  was  a 
Moor  who  equipped  them,  named  Timoja.  All  which  Gaspar 
the  interpreter  related  to  the  captain-major,  and  that  this 
Moor  committed  great  robberies  at  sea  upon  all  that  he  fell 
in  with,  and  that  this  Moor  was  a  foreigner,  and  paid  part 
of  the  plunder  to  the  King  of  Gar^opa,  who  was  ruler  of 
the  country. 

The  captain-major  anchored  before  this  river,  and  ordered 
Estevan  da  Gama  to  go  to  the  river  with  the  boats  and  men 
equipped.  On  entering  the  river  they  found  some  palisades, 
from  which  some  small  guns  an'd  arrows  were  discharged  at 
them.  Our  men  landing  on  the  shore,  the  Moors  at  once 
fled,  and  our  men  set  fire  to  the  vessels  which  were  beached 
and  in  the  river,  laden  with  goods,  and  all  were  burned. 
The  watch-boats  got  into  a  creek  where  the  boats  could 
not  follow  them.  Then  the  interpreter  pointed  out  another 
river  by  which  the  boats  went  and  reached  the  town,  which 
was  large,  and  in  which  were  many  fighting  men ;  and  our 
men  fell  upon  them,  and  the  Moors  fled  at  once,  and  the 
town  was  burned  with  all  that  was  in  it.  So  our  men  with- 
out any  danger  returned  to  the  ships,  which  at  once  set 
sail,  and  the  next  day  reached  the  port  of  Baticala,  where 
there  were  many  Moorish  ships,  because  this  port  was  a 


310  HOSTILITJES    AT    BATICALA. 

great  place  for  loading  rice,  iron,  and  sugar,  which  were 
transported  to  all  parts  of  India.  Here  it  was  already 
known  what  our  people  had  done  at  Onor,  and  they  pre- 
pared themselves  with  the  intention  of  preventing  our  men 
from  entering  the  river,  planting  some  small  cannon  upon  a 
wall,  which  they  had  upon  a  rock  which  stood  on  the  bar. 
The  captain-major  sent  Estevan  da  Gama  thither  with  boats 
and  armed  men,  and  with  the  tide  which  was  rising  he 
entered  the  river  without  the  many  people  who  came 
together  being  able  to  defend  it ;  they  threw  many  stones 
from  the  hill  at  the  boats,  which  on  reaching  the  shore  fell 
upon  some  wharves  which  the  Moors  had  made  for  loading 
the  ships,  the  Moor3  at  once  fled,  leaving  behind  a  great  quan- 
tity of  loads  of  rice  and  sugar,  which  they  were  going  to 
put  on  board,  and  the  Portuguese  returned  to  their  boats  in 
order  to  go  to  the  town,  which  was  higher  up  the  river. 
As  they  were  going  thither,  some  Moors  of  the  country 
said  to  them  that  they  should  not  go  to  do  any  injury, 
because  they  themselves  were  going  to  the  captain-major 
with  a  message  from  the  King  who  was  giving  him  his  sub- 
mission. Then  Estevan  da  Gama  sent  a  man  with  the 
Moors  to  see  what  were  the  orders  of  the  captain-major. 
The  captain-major  seeing  the  Moors  coming  sat  down  in 
his  chair,  trimmed  with  crimson  velvet,  with  a  carpet 
beneath  it.  When  the  Moors  entered,  one  of  them,  an 
honourable  old  man,  took  the  feet  of  the  captain-major  to 
kiss  them,  saying  that  the  King  of  Baticala  complained  of 
their  carrying  on  war  in  his  port  without  first  informing 
themselves  of  him  whether  he  would  obey  him  or  not ;  but 
since  it  had  been  done,  that  they  should  do  nothing  further, 
because  he  would  do  whatever  the  captain-major  com- 
manded. The  captain  replied  :  "  If  this  is  the  truth,  why 
did  he  not  order  a  white  flag  to  be  set  upon  the  bar,  instead 
of  first  sending  people  to  stone  the  boats,  and  not  letting 
them  enter  ?     For  which  ho  deserved  what  had  been  done. 


DOMINION    CLAIMED    OVER    INDIAN    8EAS.  311 

whiclLwas  nothing  to  what  should  be  done  if  he  did  not 
fulfil  this  message  of  his  very  completely;  for  I  did  not 
come  with  the  design  of  doing  injury  to  him,  and  when  I 
found  war,  I  ordered  it  to  be  made,  for  this  is  the  fleet  of 
the  King  of  Portugal  my  sovereign,  who  is  lord  of  the  sea, 
of  all  the  world,  and  also  of  all  this  coast ;  for  which  reason 
all  the  rivers  and  ports  which  have  got  shipping  have  to 
obey  him,  and  pay  tribute  for  their  people  who  go  in  their 
fleets :  and  this  only  as  a  sign  of  obedience,  in  order  that 
thereby  their  ports  may  be  free  and  that  they  may  carry  on 
in  them  their  trade  and  profits  in  security,  neither  trading 
in  pepper,  nor  bringing  Turks,  nor  going  to  the  poi't  of 
Calecut,  because  for  any  of  these  three  things  the  ships 
which  shall  be  found  to  have  done*  these  shall  be  burned, 
with  as  many  as  may  be  captured  in  them.  Therefore,  if 
the  King  speaks  the  truth,  let  him  at  once  make  an  agree- 
ment as  to  what  may  be  his  pleasure,  and  send  me  at  once 
an  answer  respecting  it ;  and  should  it  not  be  a  good  one  I 
will  immediately  send  and  burn  those  ships  and  the  town, 
and  will  cause  much  harm  to  be  done,  which  I  will  order  to 
be  done  each  year,  so  that  his  port  shall  have  no  trade/^ 
The  King,  and  his  people  who  were  present,  having  heard 
this  message,  held  their  council,  and  agreed  to  ask  for 
peace,  and  he  replied  to  the  captain-major  that  it  was  not 
in  his  power  to  give  gold  or  silver,  but  that  he  would  give 
what  was  dealt  in  in  the  country,  which  was  rice,  of  which 
he  would  give  a  thousand  loads  every  year  for  the  crews, 
and  five  hundred  loads  of  other  better  rice  for  the  captains, 
and  that  more  he  could  not  give,  because  he  had  the  name 
of  king,  and  was  a  tenant  of  the  King  of  Bisnaga,  to  whom 
the  country  belonged.  The  interpreter  affirmed  all  this  to 
the  captain-major,  and  said  that  the  King  spoke  the  truth  : 
for  that  reason  he  was  satisfied  with  the  rice  which  the 
King  oflFered,  who  gave  him  at  once  his  letter  binding  him- 
self to  it.     The  captain-major  gave  him  his  safe-conduct. 


312  GAMA    SAILS    FOK    CANAKOR. 

upon  whicli  the  rice  was  immediately  sent  in  Indian  boats, 
with  a  large  quantity  of  refreshments  for  the  whole  fleet. 
All  this  having  been  concluded,  the  captain-major  set  sail 
for  Cananor.^ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

How  the  fleet  having  left  Baticala,  what  happened  to  it  before  arriving 
at  Cananor,  in  the  port  of  Marabia,  whence  it  went  to  Cananor. 

As  the  fleet  was  on  its  way  to  Cananor,  before  reaching 
Mount  Dely,  a  gust  of  wind  struck  it,  which  sprung  the 
mainmast  of  the  ship  Leitoa  Esmeralda,  in  which  Pero 
Afonzo  d'Aguiar  sailed ;  and  the  lances  which  were  in  the 
top  fell  upon  the  deck,  and  killed  four  men,  and  wounded 
several,  and  there  was  one  who  was  transfixed  with  eight 
lances.  On  account  of  this,  the  captain-major  anchored  in 
the  bay  of  Marabia,  because  he  saw  there  several  Moorish 
ships,  in  order  to  get  a  mast  from  them.  He  sent  on  shore 
to  search  for  one,  and  at  once  the  Moors  gave  him  one  such 

'  Barros  and  Osorio  do  not  mention  these  attacks  on  Onor  and  Bati- 
cala. The  attack  on  Baticala  appears  not  to  have  had  the  shadow  of  a 
pretext  for  it,  and  to  have  been  nothing  but  piracy.  With  regard  to  the 
pretext  for  the  attack  on  Onor,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the 
conduct  of  the  Portuguese  and  that  of  Timoja,  who  appears  from  other 
mention  of  him  to  have  levied  tolls  on  ships  that  passed  by  Onor.  The 
following  passage  of  Defoe  describes  the  conduct  of  Gama  at  Onor : — 
"  For,  be  it  known  to  you,  seignior,  those  captains  of  English  and 
Dutch  ships  are  a  parcel  of  rash,  proud,  insolent  fellows,  that  neither 
know  what  belongs  to  justice,  nor  how  to  behave  themselves  as  the  laws 
of  God  or  nature  direct;  but  being  proud  of  their  offices,  and  not  under- 
standing their  power,  they  would  act  the  murderers  to  punish  robbers, 
■would  take  upon  them  to  insult  men  falsely  accused,  and  determine 
them  guilty  without  due  inquiry;  and  perhaps  I  may  live  to  call  some  of 
them  to  an  account  for  it,  where  they  may  be  taught  how  justice  is  to 
be  executed,  and  that  no  man  ought  to  be  treated  as  a  criminal  till 
Borae  evidence  may  be  had  of  the  crime,  and  that  he  is  the  mafi." 


PLUNDER  OF  AN  ARAB  SHIP.  313 

as  was  fitting,  and  the  captain-major  ordered  its  owner  to 
be  well  paid  for  it,  so  that  the  ship  was  well  remasted  with 
the  labour  of  many  workmen  in  a  few  days.     Whilst  they 
were  at  this  work,  one  day  at  dawn  there  came  a  large  ship 
of  Calecut  which  came  from  Mekkah  with  much  wealth,  and 
it  fell  in  with  the  caravels,  which  were  on  the  watch  out  at 
sea.     In  this  ship  came  the  owner,  who  was  the  chief  mer- 
chant and  the  richest  in  Calecut,  and  the  ship  was  coming 
from  the  offing  to  make  Mount  Dely.    The  caravels  went  to 
it,  and  made  it  come  and  anchor  close  to  the  captain-major, 
who^  on  learning  that  it  was  from  Calecut,  ordered  the  men 
to  go  and  pillage  it,  I  The  crews  went  to  do  this  in  boats, 
and  the  whole  day  were  carrying  cargo  to  the  ships,  until 
the  ship  was  empty,  and  the  captain-major  prohibited  any- 
one from  taking  out  of  it  any  Moor,  and  then  he  ordered 
them  to  set  fire  to  the  ship.     When  the  captain  of  the  ship 
saw  this,  he  called  out  that  he  should  be  taken  before  the 
captain-major,  because  that  was  very  expedient.     They  told 
this  to  the  captain-major,  who  ordered  him  to  come.    When 
he  was  in  the  presence  of  the  captain-major,    he    said  to 
him:  ''Sir,  you  gain  nothing  by  ordering  us  to  be  killed. 
Command  that  we  be  put  in  irons,  and  carry  us  to  Calecut, 
and  if  there  they  do  not  load  your  ships  with  pepper  and 
drugs,  without  your  giving  anything  for  them,   then   you 
may  order  us  to  be  burned.     Look  that  you  do  not  lose  so 
great  a  sum  of  wealth  for  so  small  a  thing  as  it  is  to  kill  us ; 
and  consider  that  in  war  they  pardon  those  who  surrender, 
and  since  we  did  not  fight,  do  you  put  in  practice  the  virtue 
of  knighthood.''^     The  captain-major  said  to  him  :  ''  Alive 
you  shall  be  burned,  because  you  counselled  the  King  of 
Calecut  to  kill  and  plunder  the  factor  and  Portuguese ;  and 
since  you  are  so  powerful  in  Calecut,  that  you  oblige  yourself 
to  give  me  a  cargo  gratuitously  for  these  ships,  I  say  that 
for  nothing  in  this  world  would  I  desist  from  giving  you  a 
hundred  deaths,  if  I  could  give  you  so  raany.^^     He  then 


314  SLAUGHTER    OF    THE    ARABS 

ordered  them  to  send  the  Moor  back  to  the  ship^  and  to  set 
fire  to  it.  The  captains  who  were  with  the  captain-major 
tried  to  hinder  him  from  it,  saying  that  he  ought  not  to 
choose  to  lose  so  great  wealth  as  the  Moor  offered,  since  by 
killing  them  vengeance  was  not  taken  on  Calecut.^  The 
captain-major  replied  :  "  Gentlemen  and  friends,  I  well  see 
all  that  you  say ;  but  all  those  who  covet  the  property  of 
their  enemy  and  not  his  death,  err  against  their  honour  and 
their  life ;  and  he  who  spares  his  enemy  dies  at  his  hands 
(say  the  old  women) ;  and  if  you  look  well  to  reason,  with- 
out bearing  in  mind  what  the  Moor  promises,  you  will  go 
yourselves  to  light  the  fire.  If  this  bribe  were  for  us,  and 
we  had  to  live  in  India,  well  might  we  take  the  risk  which 
might  happen  later,  which  would  be  great  evils  and  deaths 
which  we  should  suffer ;  for  since  this  Moor  is  so  powerful 
that  he  gives  so  large  a  ransom  for  his  life,  he  will  not  want 
power  later  to  take  vengeance  of  the  Portuguese.  So  that 
it  is  clear  that  if  we  now  take  this  bribe,  those  who  come 
here  afterwards  will  pay  it  doubly.  We  should  give  a  great 
account  to  God  if  we  left  such  a  charge  upon  them,  because 
this  Moor  who  is  so  powerful  will  not  want  afterwards  for 
supporters  in  as  many  Moors  as  there  are  in  India.  There- 
fore, know,  that  this  enemy  shall  not  remain  alive,  to  assure 
iny  conscience ;  for  we  have  gained  nothing  in  this  country 
by  arms,  only  by  friendly  methods  we  have  obtained  that 
these  people  receive  us.  Calecut  has  oflFended  us  greatly, 
and  deserves  that  we  should  do  it  every  injury ;  and  if  for 
this  bribe  we  were  to  set  free  its  Moors,  we  should  retain 
the  ill-fame  throughout  these  parts  of  selling  our  honour  for 
goods,  and  Calecut,  without  fear,  would  offend  us  every 
day :  therefore,  if  I  can  do  harm  to  anything  belonging 
to  it,  I  must  do  it."  He  then  ordered  them  to  set  fire  to 
the  ship,  and  as  the  Portuguese  were  going  out  who  still 

'  Though  the  arguments  of  the  captains  were  base,  yet  they  left  the 
whole  of  this  crime  upon  the  head  of  Vasco  da  Gama. 


AND   THEIR    RESISTANCE.  315 

went  about  the  ship  looking  for  plunder,  the  Moors  took 
up  those  arras  which  our  men  had  not  yet  taken  away,  and 
set  to  fighting  with  our  men  like  men  condemned  to  death, 
and  killed  some  and  wounded  others,  so  that  they  made 
them  spring  into  the  sea,  as  they  were  unarmed.  The 
Moors  cut  their  ship's  cable  to  go  ashore,  or  against  some 
ship,  in  which  they  might  sell  their  lives  dearly  :  the  boats 
with  armed  men  crowded  up,  and  the  Moors,  who  were 
more  than  seven  hundred,  made  a  great  resistance,  for  they 
were  valiant  warriors,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  give  up  their 
lives  to  the  sword,  sooner  than  to  the  tortures  of  fire. 

Francisco  Marecos,  seeing  the  ship  of  the  Moors  come 
close  to  his  ship,  ordered  a  rope  to  be  passed  to  it,  and 
brought  it  close  to  his  ship ;  at  which  the  Moors  were 
delighted,  for  they  boarded  his  ship  intrepidly,  and  fought 
so  valiantly  that  without  doubt  they  would  have  taken  the 
ship,  if  the  boats  had  not  crowded  up  with  many  men,  who 
killed  all  the  Moors.  The  captain-major  came  up  in  his 
small  boat,  and  ordered  all  his  men  to  come  out  of  the  ship, 
and  he  ordered  the  boats  to  sink  her  with  the  falconnets 
and  swivel-guns  which  they  carried.  This  was  done  accord- 
ingly, and  the  Moors  were  left  swimming,  and  the  boats 
plied  about  killing  them  with  lances.  Here  it  happened 
that  a  Moor  who  was  swimming  found  a  lance  floating  in 
the  water,  and  took  it,  and  raising  himself  in  the  water  as 
much  as  he  could,  hurled  the  lance  into  a  boat,  and  with  it 
transfixed  a  sailor  and  killed  him ;  and  as  this  seemed  to 
me  to  be  a  great  thing,  I  have  written  it.^ 

•  Barms,  Osorio,  and  San  Roman  mention  this  butchery  as  having 
happened  at  the  same  time  and  place  as  that  mentioned  by  Correa,  but 
without  any  word  of  disapprobation.  Camoens  has  passed  over  this  ex- 
ploit in  silence,  apparently  not  thinking  that  it  added  to  the  glory  of 
Gama.  Osorio  makes  it  more  unjustifiable,  since  he  states  that  the 
vessel  belonged  to  the  Sultan  of  Egypt,  not  to  Calecut,  and  was  return- 
ing from  Calecut  to  the  Red  Sea:  he  says  the  fight  lasted  until  the  next 
day,  tliough  the  whole  fleet  was  engaged  with  this  single  vessel,  and 


316  ACCOUNT  BY  BARROS  OP  THE 

The  factor  and  several  men  of  Cananor  had  now  come  to 
the  captain-major,  and  related  to  him   the  great   benefits 

that  the  Tortuguese  killed  three  hundred  men,  sparing  only  a  few  chil- 
dren, and  set  fire  to  the  ship  after  plundering  it. 

San  Roman,  like  Osorio,  says  the  ship  was  going  to,  not  coming  from, 
the  Red  Sea,  and  says  less  of  the  fight  than  of  the  children  who  were 
spared  and  baptised,  and  offered  to  the  monastery  of  Belem,  where  they 
might  perpetually  serve  the  Queen  of  the  Angels. 

Barros  gives  a  more  circumstantial  account,  and  says  that  the  Zamorim 
sent  to  complain  to  Gama,  while  he  was  at  anchor  near  Mount  Dely,  of 
liis  ill-treatment  of  the  affairs  of  Calecut,  and  that  he  desired  to  esta- 
blish peace  with  him.     Gama  sent  an  answer,  that  he  had  not  yet  in- 
flicted on  Calecut  an  injury  equal  to  that  which  had  been  committed  by 
the  killing  and  robbery  of  the  Portuguese,  and  until  he  had  compensa- 
tion for  that,  he  only  fulfilled  the  orders  of  the  King  D.  Manuel ;  and 
this  news  might  be  given  to  the  Zamorim  until  he  sent  him  more  about 
the  Mekkah  ships  which  he  was  waiting  for  :  and  the  first  would  be  the 
one  named  Merim^  so  much  expected  by  all.     After  a  few  days,  a  ship 
which  he  expected  fell  into  his  hands.     He  had  news  of  it  by  the  ques- 
tions which  he  put  to  the  Malabar  Moors ;  and  as  they  told  him  this 
ship  belonged  to  the  Sultan  of  Cairo,  and  her  captain  and  factor  was  a 
Moor  named  Joar  Fiquim,  who  had  sailed  from   Calecut  laden  with 
spices,  and  as  it  was  a  large  and  safe  ship  many  honourable  Moors  had 
gone  in  it  in  pilgrimage  to  their  abomination  of  INIekkah,  and  the  ship 
was  returning  with  these  pilgrims,  and  was  also  laden  with  much  wealth. 
The  admiral,  when  he  saw  that  the  ship  of  Captain  Gil  Matoso  held  her 
surrendered,  as  he  had  first  fallen  in  with  her  almost  in  sight  of  all  the 
fleet  (Barros  has  before  stated  that  the  fleet  was  stretched  out  from  the 
coast  seawards  to  intercept  any  passing  ships),  got  into  his  long-boat 
with  the  factor  Diogo  Fernandes  Correa,  Diogo   Godinho  and  Diogo 
Lopes,  clerks,  and  went  to  the  ship  of  Gil  Matoso,  because  the  wind  had 
fallen  calm,  and  he  could  not  come  to  him.     When  he  reached  the  ship 
he  sent  for  the  captain  of  the  ship  by  his  boat,  and  for  the  principal 
merchants,  to  whom  he  put  some  questions,  amongst  which  was  the 
amount  of  capital  which  they  brought  to  lay  out  in  spices ;  and  speaking 
lightly  without  putting  much  pressure  upon  them,  he  told  them  to  re- 
turn to  the  ship  and  bring  to  him  the  things  of  small  volume  which  they 
had  brought  for  these  purchases.     The  Moors  being  of  opinion  that  this 
was  a  polite  way  the  captain  had  of  begging  something  of  them,  settled 
that  they  had  acted  wisely  in  surrendering  to  the  ship,  because  they 
would  finish  the  matter  with  a  present  which  they  would  take  to  the 
captain-major:  for  had  they  presumed  what  afterwards  happened,  their 
surrender  woul  1  have   cost  dear.      Finally,  they  returned  before  the 


ACTION  WITH  THE  ARAB  SHIP.  317 

which  the  King  of  Cananor  conferred  upon  them,  and  how 
the  King  of  Calecut  was  fighting  with  the  King  of  Cochym 

admiral  with  a  sum  of  money  in  gold  coin,  and  some  wrought  silver, 
brocades,  and  silks,  all  which  might  be  worth  as  much  as  twelve  thou- 
sand cruzados ;  the  admiral  ordered  it  all  to  be  delivered  over  to  the 
factor,  and  that  they  should  return  to  their  ship,  and  the  next  day  he 
would  dismiss  them,  as  it  was  very  late.     When  it  was  morning,  and 
the  ships  of  the  fleet  were  already  close  round  the  Moorish  ship,  for  all 
were  ready  in  expectation,  the  admiral  went  on  board  of  her  with  some 
other  persons,  and  ordered  them  to  bring  up  more  goods  on  deck  and 
deliver  them  to  Diogo  Fernandes ;  and  after  that  by  this  means  he 
could  get  no  more  from  the  Moors,  he  returned  to  his  ship  the  <S.  Jero- 
nymo.     He  came  and  placed  his  ship  alongside  the  Moorish  ship,  and 
ordered  all  the  goods  which  it  carried  to  be  discharged  into  his  ship ;  by 
accident  a  servant  of  the  admiral  got  squeezed  between  the  sides  of  the 
ships,  of  which  he  died ;  the  admiral  was  so  grieved  that  he  removed 
his  ship,  and  ordered  Estevan  da  Gama  and  the  factor  Diogo  Fernandes 
Correa  to  take  the  Moorish  ship  further  out  to  sea,  so  as  not  to  be  in 
the  way  of  our  ships,  and  after  they  had  discharged  all  the  cargo  which 
it  carried,  to  set  fire  to  it.     There  were  in  this  ship  about  two  hundred 
and   sixty  fighting  men,   and  more  than  fifty  women  and  children. 
These  Moors,  as  long  as  the  Portuguese  took  away  their  goods  and 
arms,  seeing  so  many  ships  all  round  them,  endured  what  had  been 
done  to  them  up  to  that  time  ;  but  when  they  saw  that  our  ships'  boats 
were  surrounding  and  setting  fire  to  them,  which  was  danger  to  Hfe, 
and  not  damage  of  property,  they  determined  to  die  like  knights  with 
some  arms  whiqh  they  had  concealed,  and  by  throwing  stones  they 
made  the  boAts  keep  off.     At  this  time  one  of  our  ships,  which  cruised 
on  the  watch  for  other  ships,  came  to  speak  the  flag-ship,  and  when  it 
saw  the  boats  going  round  the  ship,  it  went  and  attacked  it.     As  the 
ship  was  small  and  the  Moorish  ship  very  large,  and  the  Moors  made 
now  no  account  of  their  lives,  but  wished  to  die  avenged,  when  the  ship 
came  alongside  they  sprung  into  the  castle  in  the  prow,  attacking  our 
men  so  closely  that  they  made  them  take  shelter  in  the  sterncastle,  and 
they  wounded  many,  and  killed  three  or  four.     In  this  boarding  they 
obtained  a  few  arms  from  our  men,  who  were  badly  wounded ;  their 
fury  was  so  lively  that  the  ship  nearly  fell  into  their  power.     But  the 
ship  Julioa,  Captain  Lopo  Mendes  de  Vasconcellos,  came  up,  so  that  the 
Moors  got  back  to  their  ship,   and  thinking  that  the  ship  of  Lopo 
Mendes  was  grappling  them,  as  it  passed  by,  they  threw  into  it  a  shower 
of  stones,  which  slightly  wounded  many  men.     The  admiral,  who  was  at 
a  distance,  seeing  how  this  ship  warded  off  those  that  came  alongside  of 
her,  had  himself  conveyed  to  the  ship  S.  Gabriel  of  Gil  Matoso,  and  on 


318  ARRIVAL   AT    CANANOR. 

to  make  him  deliver  up  the  Portuguese.  There  also  arrived 
a  message  and  complimentary  visit  on  the  part  of  the  King 
of  Cananor  :  and  as  the  ship  was  now  completely  equipped, 
the  captain-major  set  sail,  and  went  to  the  port  of  Cananor, 
where  he  made  a  great  salute  of  artillery.  There  the  cap- 
reaching  her,  he  found  that  D.  Luis  Coutinho  had  grappled  her  with 
his  ship,  the  Lionarda,  to  which  he  passed,  where  they  fought  so  much 
with  the  Moorish  ship  that  many  men  were  killed,  until  the  night  sepa- 
rated the  combatants.  When  the  next  day  came,  even  though  with 
much  labour  and  danger  to  our  men,  by  dint  of  fire  they  made  an  end 
of  the  Moorish  ship :  and  out  of  tliis  fire  the  admiral  ordered  the  lives 
to  be  spared  and  to  be  picked  up  only  twenty  and  odd  children  and  a 
humpbacked  Moor,  who  was  the  pilot ;  these  children  h6  ordered  to  be 
made  Christians.  Because  Antonio  da  Sa,  a  page  of  D.  Manuel,  was 
the  first  who  had  entered  this  ship,  and  had  acted  as  became  him,  he 
made  liim  a  knight. 

Correa  says  nothing  of  these  twenty  children  who  were  spared : 
further  on  he  says  the  ship  belonged  to  the  brother  of  Coja  Kasim  of 
Calecut ;  but  what  would  rather  confirm  the  statements  of  Osorio  and 
Barros  of  her  belonging  to  the  Sultan  of  Egypt,  is  the  embassy  a  little 
later  by  the  Sultan  of  Egypt  to  the  Pope  to  complain  of  this  and  other 
piratical  acts  of  the  Portuguese.  (See  Barros,  Osorio,  and  De  Morga, 
Philippine  Islands^  Hakluyt  Society.) 

The  act  for  which  Gama  took  this  vengeance  was  the  attack  upon  the 
factory  and  killing  of  Aires  Correa  the  factor  and  some  of  his  men. 
This  had  been  done  by  one  of  two  factions  in  Calecut,  that  of  the 
foreign  Moors  under  Coja  Kasim  and  the  Gentiles,  in  opposition  to  the 
Malabar  Moors  under  Coja  Beguy,  who,  after  Aires  Correa  had  been 
killed,  saved  the  lives  of  the  sons  of  Aires  Correa,  and  of  three  wounded 
Portuguese,  whom  he  concealed  in  his  harem.  The  cause  of  the  out- 
break had  been  various  piratical  acts  of  the  Portuguese,  capturing  and 
sinking  Indian  ships  under  the  pretext  that  the  King  of  Portugal  was 
lord  of  the  sea  and  of  the  land.  For  the  death  of  Aires  Correa  vengeance 
had  already  been  taken  by  Pedralvares  Cabral,  who  had  burned  all  the 
ships  and  sambuks  in  the  port  of  Calecut,  after  which  he  had  bombarded 
the  town,  and,  according  to  Correa,  made  a  great  destruction  of  people: 
Pedralvares  Cabral  wished  to  continue  this  for  several  days,  but  the 
masters  of  the  ships  did  not  consent,  on  account  of  the  injury  which  the 
firing  did  to  the  Portuguese  ships.  Barros  says  he  burned  fifteen  sail, 
amongst  which  were  eight  large  ships,  and  bombarded  the  city  for  the 
■whole  of  the  two  next  days,  damaging  it  much  and  killing  more  than 
five  hmidred  persons. 


RECEPTION    AT    CANANOR.  319 

tain  Ruy  de  Mendanha  carae  to  tlie  captain-major,  who 
shewed  him  great  honour,  because  the  factor  and  all  the 
others  had  spoken  very  well  of  him.  The  King's  minister 
came  immediately,  with  a  message  to  the  captain-major  to 
come  on  shore  and  rest,  and  they  would  both  talk  of  many 
matters,  which  were  very  necessary.  The  captain-major 
sent  his  thanks,  and  to  say  that  whatever  day  his  highness 
named  he  would  go  on  shore  to  visit  him,  and  serve  him  in 
whatever  he  might  command  ;  but  that  he  could  not  go 
ashore  to  rest,  for  his  rest  was  at  sea,  since  he  was  now  so 
much  accustomed  to  being  at  sea,  and  at  the  present  time 
much  less,  since  he  had  to  go  to  Calecut  to  take  a  present^ 
to  the  King  forj_he  gO-od,  reception  he  had  given  to  Pedral-_^ 
varez  Cabral. 

When  the  King  heard  the  captain-major's  reply,  he  or- 
dered a  wooden  house  to  be  built  close  to  the  palisade,  in 
which  to  have  an  interview  with  the  captain-major,  and  sent 
to  tell  him  that  he  had  now  a  house  ready  in  which  to  see 
him  whenever  he  pleased.  The  captain-major,  with  his 
men  gaily  dressed,  immediately  came  from  the  fleet,  with 
all  the  boats  and  banners  and  many  trumpets  and  kettle- 
drums, and  a  salute  of  artillery,  and  landed  at  the  town  and 
went  to  prayers  in  the  church,  and  heard  mass. 


320  VISIT    TO    THE    KING    OP    CAXANOR. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

How  the  captain-major  saw  the  King  of  Cananor,  and  of  the  settlement 
and  agreement  which  he  made  with  him  in  matters  which  were 
fitting ;  and  how  he  directed  the  fleet  to  go  along  the  coast,  and  de- 
parted for  Calecut. 

When  the  King  knew  that  the  captain-major  was  on  shore, 
he  got  ready,  and  in  the  afternoon  came  to  the  house, 
accompanied  by  his  people,  with  great  pomp,  according  to 
his  fashion,  and  entered  the  house. ^  The  captain-major 
came  accompanied  also  by  his  captains  and  many  people, 
all  richly  and  gaily  dressed,  with  his  trumpets  and  kettle- 
drums before  him,  which  the  King  was  pleased  to  hear,  as 
it  seemed  a  matter  of  greater  state.  When  the  captain-major 
came  near  the  house,  at  the  distance  of  a  game  of  mancaP, 
the  King  came  out,  accompanied  by  his  ministers,  and 
before  him  his  prince,  whom  he  brought  for  the  captain- 
major  to  see ;  he  was  his  nephew,  the  son  of  his  eldest 
sister,  who,  according  to  their  usages,  was  his  direct  heir. 
He  was  a  youth,  and  a  courtly  person,  well  made,  with  his 
sword  and  shield  in  his  hands,  which  it  is  their  custom  to 
carry  till  their  death. 

When  the  King  came  up,  the  captain-major  made  him  a 
profound  salutation,  almost  with  his  knee  on  the  ground, 
with  as  much  shew  of  respect  as  though  he  had  been  the 
King  of  Portugal.  The  King  took  his  right  hand  between 
his,  which  is  the  greatest  courtesy  and  honour  which  he 
could  shew  him.     Leading  him  thus  by  the  hand,  he  went 

1  Barros  mentions  the  interview  as  taking  place  on  a  scaffolding  on 
the  seaside,  and  that  the  King  of  Cananor  came  with  elephants,  and  as 
many  as  four  thousand  Nair  swordsmen. 

*  It  is  not  known  what  this  game  of  mancal  was  ;  it  was  already  an- 
cient in  the  reign  of  D.  Manuel. 


VISIT    TO    THE    KING    OF    CANANOR.  321 

into  the  house  to  sit  down  on  the  dais,  seating  the  captain- 
major  close  to  him.  He,  before  sitting  down,  made  a  great 
salutation  to  the  prince,  who  putting  his  sword  under  his 
arm,  touched  the  captain-major's  right  hand  with  his.  The 
King  then  spoke,  and  inquired  of  the  health  of  the  King, 
and  of  the  Queen,  and  of  their  children  and  of  the  kingdom. 
The  captain-major  replied  to  all  this  as  was  fitting,  with  a 
great  abundance  of  compliments,  and  kissing  a  letter  which 
he  brought  from  the  King  of  Portugal,  he  gave  it  him  with 
great  courtesy.  The  King  was  much  pleased  at  this,  for  it 
seemed  to  him  very  good  that  he  kissed  the  letter,  and  his 
people  also  extolled  the  act.  The  King  put  the  letter  "' 
inside  the  cloth  which  he  had  wrapped  round  him,  and  they 
fell  into  conversation  upon  things  that  had  passed,  and 
upon  the  injuries  of  Calecut,  to  which  the  captain-major  had 
to  do  as  much  harm  as  he  could,  and  he  would  have  ships 
upon  his  coast  to  destroy  as  much  as  possible  in  his  ports, 
and  nothing  of  his  should  go  upon  the  sea.  Therefore  the 
King  should  order  the  merchants  not  to  hold  dealings  with 
those  of  Calecut,  so  that  they  should  not  be  losers  with 
them.  The  King  showed  much  satisfaction  at  all  this,  and 
said  that  he  would  assist  in  all,  and  would  act  as  if  these 
were  the  affairs  of  his  own  brother,  for  so  he  had  decided 
in  his  heart  in  behalf  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  and  all  who 
should  descend  from  him,  and  this  he  swore  upon  his  head, 
and  his  eyes,  and  by  his  mother's  womb  which  had  borne 
him,  and  by  the  prince  his  heir;  and  swearing  thus  he 
touched  everything  with  his  hand.  Whilst  he  spoke  thus, 
the  prince  was  all  the  time  standing  before  the  King,  with- 
out ever  speaking. 

The  captain-major  made  many  compliments  of  friendship 
to  the  King  on  the  part  of  the  King  his  sovereign,  saying 
that  Kings  and  great  princes  of  royal  blood  used  to  do  so 
amongst  one  another  ;  and  that  they  had  a  sincere  affection 
for  one  another,  and  especially  good   faith,  which  was  their 


322  ESTABLISHMENT    OF 

greatest  oi^nament,  and  was  of  more  value  than  their  king- 
doms.    The    captain-major   then    presented   to   him    what 
the    King  of  Portugal  had  sent    for   him,   which  was  six 
pieces  of  satin  and  coloured  velvets,  a  piece  of  brocade,  an 
arm-chair  with  cushions  of  brocade,  and  a  sword  of  gold  and 
enamel,  made  after  their  fashion,  with  which  the  King  felt 
much  satisfaction,  and  was  for   some  time  looking  at  the 
enamels,  and  asked  what  work  it  was.     The  captain-major 
told  him  that  it  was  wrought  with  the  gems  which  they  had 
carried  from   India,  which    the    goldsmiths    knew  how  to 
work.     The  King  ordered  everything  to  be  gathered  up, 
and  gave  the  captain-major  a  necklace  and  two  bracelets  and 
ten  rings,  all  of  much  price,  for  the  Queen,  and  other  rich 
jewels  for  himself;    upon  which   they  took   leave    of   one 
another.     The  captain-major  returned  to  the  town,  and  at 
once  got  into  the  boats  and  went  to  the  ships,  going  in  his 
boat  with  a  canopy  of  crimson  satin  fringed  with  gold,  and 
above  the  canopy  the  royal  standard  of  white  damask  with 
the  cross  of  Christus,  embroidered  with  gold  thread.     The 
captain-major  went  first  and  the  other  boats  behind  to  show 
him  respect ;  and  on  reaching  the  ships,  they  fired  a  salute 
of  much  artillery,  and  the  King,  who  remained  looking  on 
from  the  beach,  was  pleased  with  the  sight. 

The  captain -major  brought  instructions  that  here,  and  in 
all  parts  where  there  were  dealings  of  buying  and  selling, 
he  was  to  establish  the  prices  of  all  things,  so  that  they 
should  be  fixed,  and  that  there  should  never  be  novelties  of 
lowering  or  raising  the  prices,  which  he  was  to  do  with  the 
good  pleasure  of  the  King  and  of  the  merchants.  For 
which  reason,  having  obtained  information  of  the  weights 
and  prices  of  each  article,  both  for  selling  and  buying,  with 
the  counsel  of  the  factor  and  of  the  interpreter,  he  made  a 
minute  of  all,  as  it  seemed  to  him  just  and  right.  Then  he 
sent  to  tell  the  King  that  he  had  to  speak  to  him  of  things 
that  were  necessary,  and  to  ask  him  to  give  him  a  day  on 


TKADE    AT    CANANOR.  323 

which  to  go  to  his  house,  because  after  that  he  wished  to 
depart.  The  King  sent  to  say  that  he  should  not  come  to 
his  house,  which  was  far  off,  but  that  he  would  come,  as  he 
had  come  the  other  day,  to  the  same  building  as  at  first, 
with  his  state.  The  captain-major  immediately  came  from 
the  sea  in  the  boats,  and  went  to  the  house,  where  they  re- 
ceived him  with  their  courtesies.  He  then  spoke  of  what 
he  desired — that  there  should  be  established  prices  for 
everything,  which  should  last  for  ever,  so  that  there  should 
not  be  differences  and  novelties.  This  appeared  very  good 
to  the  King,  and  he  summoned  some  principal  merchants, 
natives  of  the  country,  and  foreigners,  who  all  spoke  and 
conversed  upon  all  the  prices  and  weights  of  the  merchan- 
dise, and  all  was  written  down  by  their  scribes ;  and  for 
everything  a  settlement  was  made  upon  the  full  value  which 
things  had  anciently  in  the  country,  both  of  their  commodi- 
ties and  ours,  with  the  prices  and  weights  of  all,  in  very 
good  order.  Of  this  they  drew  up  documents,  signed  by 
all,  that  everything  should  thus  be  bought  and  weighed  in 
purchases  and  sales.  The  captain-major  also  signed  it,  and 
the  factor  and  Cananor  ministers  took  away  a  copy.  This 
remained  firm,  and  is  so  still  at  the  present  day,  and  will  re- 
main so  as  long  as  God  pleases.  The  captain-major  made 
many  recommendations  to  the  King  with  respect  to  ginger, 
as  he  had  many  ships  to  load.  The  King  took  charge  of 
this,  and  begged  the  captain-major  to  avoid  as  much  as 
possible  fighting  with  the  Calecut  fleet  if  it  came  to  seek 
him,  since  it  did  not  come  except  with  stratagems  of  fire. 
The  captain-major  said  that  he  should  do  all  the  harm  he 
could  to  Calecut,  and  if  its  fleet  came  to  seek  him  he  should 
be  delighted,  because  he  hoped  in  the  Lord  that  he  should 
take  some  vengeance  upon  it  such  as  he  was  desirous  of; 
upon  which  he  took  his  leave  with  his  salutations. 

When  he  got  back  to  the  ships,  he  took  counsel  with  the 
captains,  and  settled  to  divide  the  fleet,  which  was  always  to 


_324  A    FACTOR    AND    OTHEE    OFFICERS 

cruise  along  the  coast,  making  war  on  all  navigators,  only 

I    excepting  those  of  Cananor,  Cochym,  and  Coulam,  because 

those  of  Cananor  were  to  carry  a  certificate  signed  by  the 

j     factor,  upon  the  King's  giving  them  his  document,  since  the 

[^  factor  did  not  know  them.     The  same  was  to  be  done  by 

those    of   Cochym  ;    and  those  of   Coulam  would   send  to 

Cochym  to  obtain  their  certificate,  which  they  call  a  cartaz. 

All  this  the  factor  went  to  notify  to  the  King,  with  which  he 

was  well  pleased. 

Then  the  captain-major  made  Vicente  Sodre  captain- 
major  of  the  fleet  which  he  was  going  to  leave  behind  when 
he  went  away  ;  and  he  made  Gonzalo  Gil  Barbosa,  who  was 
in  Cochym,  factor,  because  Diogo  Fernandez  Correa  came 
appointed  as  factor  at  Cochym  ;  and  he  left  him  at  once  at 
Cananor  much  goods  to  deal  in  ginger,  which  the  Gozil  was 
to  have  sent  to  the  factory,  as  the  King  had  commanded ; 
also  that  ten  Nairs  should  always  accompany  the  factor  as  a 
guard  all  day,  and  to  go  with  his  messages  wherever  he  sent 
them ;  also  one  of  the  King's  scribes  to  be  always  with  the 
factor  to  read  and  write  all  the  documents,  which  had  to  be 
done  by  a  scnbe  appointed  by  the  King,  who  would  not 
commit  any  forgery.  The  factor  was  to  give  to  the  Gozil,  in 
order  that  he  should  take  good  care  of  the  ginger,  ten  ells 
of  crimson  velvet  for  each  cargo,  and  to  the  scribes  ten  fanaos 
a  month, — a  fanao  is  a  coin  of  inferior  gold,  and  fourteen  of 
them  are  worth  three  hundred  reis ;  and  to  the  Nairs  of  the 
guard  five  fanaos  to  each.  All  this  the  factor  was  to  pay 
each  month,  for  so  the  King  ordained,  so  that  the  factor 
I  might  go  securely  wherever  he  pleased  by  day  or  by  night ; 
because  these  Nairs  are  gentlemen  by  lineage,  and  by  their 
law  they  are  bound  to  die  for  whoever  gives  them  pay,  they 
and  all  their  lineage ;  and  if  those  of  one  lineage  live  with 
separate  masters,  and  one  of  them  has  a  dispute  with  the 
'''  other,  and  they  fight,  these  servants  of  theirs  will  fight  and 
kill  one  another  like  mortal  enemies,  for  they  are  bound  to 


APPOINTED    AT    CANANOR.  325 

do  it ;  and  when  the  struggle  is  finished,  they  will  speak  and 
communicate  with  one  another  as  if  they  had  never  fought. 
The  captain-major  appointed  as  almoxarife  of  the  warehouse 
and  provisions  Fernan  Lopes,  because  the  factor  could  not 
attend  to  all  the  work ;  and  Gomez  Ferreira,  who  was 
factor,  as  there  came  another  one,  he  appointed  to  be 
captain  of  a  caravel,  and  Ruy  de  Mendanha  captain  of 
another.  He  left  instructions  to  the  factor  to  buy  and 
gather  into  the  warehouse  for  the  voyage  to  the  kingdom 
much  rice,  sugar,  honey,  butter,  oil,  cocoa-nuts,  and  dried 
fish,  and  to  make  cables  of  coir  and  cordage,  for  which 
purpose  he  left  there  many  workmen  who  came  in  the  fleet, 
and  this  was  the  best  provision  made  for  the  ships  of  bur- 
den ;  and  afterwards  they  were  always  made  for  a  long  time, 
because  they  were  much  better  than  the  cables  of  flax, 
which  burst  with  a  strain,  and  the  coir  yields  and  stretches, 
and  the  strain  being  removed,  it  returns  to  its  former  state. 
The  natives  of  the  country  were  much  pleased  at  all  this, 
on  account  of  the  profits  which  they  made ;  only  the  Moors 
were  sad,  because  they  saw  that  our  men  were  preparing  to 
prevent  the  navigation  which  they  carried  on  to  the  Straits, 
laden  with  pepper  and  drugs,  from  which  they  derived  so 
great  profits,  all  which  they  now  lost ;  and  for  this  they 
were  altogether  desperate,  because  the  soothsayers  with 
whom  they  sometimes  spoke  told  them  that  the  power  of 
the  King  of  Portugal  would  constantly  increase,  j 

When  everything  was  thus  arranged,  the  captain-major 
sent  word  of  it  to  the  King  by  the  factor,  at  which  he  felt 
great  pleasure,  seeing  the  great  confidence  with  which  our 
men  relied  upon  his  friendship,  and  established  themselves 
in  his  country  more  than  in  any  other  part ;  on  which 
account  he  held  himself  to  be  a  much  greater  King  than 
he  was,  which  he  frequently  spoke  of  to  his  people.^     The 

'  Barros  gives  a  different  account  of  the  dealings  with  the  King  of 
Cananor ;  he  says  that,  at  the  interview  between  the  King  of  Cananor 


^y 


326  ACCOUNT  BY  BARROS 

captain -major,  leaving  everything  thus  well  ordained,  sent 
to  take  leave  of  the  King,  and  departed  for  Calecut. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

How  the  captain-major  with  all  the  fleet  arrived  before  the  city  of 
Calecut,  and  of  the  damage  and  destruction  which  was  done  to  it, 
and  of  the  case  of  a  miracle  which  happened. 

The  captain-major,  on  arriving  at  Calecut,  was  in  a  passion 
because  he  found  the  port  cleared,  and  in  it  there  was 
nothing  to  which  he  could  do  harm,  because  the  Moors, 
knowing  of  his  coming,  had  all  fled,  and  hid  their  vessels 


and  Gama  on  his  first  arrival,  nothing  was  settled  as  to  trade :  the  King 
was  an  old  man  of  seventy,  and  he  excused  himself  on  the  ground  of  his 
requiring  rest,  and  retired,  saying  he  would  send  his  officers  and  the 
principal  merchants  to  settle  trade  so  that  his  brother  the  King  of  Por- 
tugal should  be  served.  5  AVhen  this  interview  had  taken  place,  Gama 
wrote  to  the  Zamorim  to  confound  his  designs,  and  told  him  how  he  had 
burned  the  Sultan's  ship  Merim.,  and  that  the  ISIoor  who  carried  the 
letter  and  was  her  pilot  would  give  him  an  account  of  it ;  and  in  case  he 
/  did  not  give  him  all  the  details,  he  informed  him  that  of  two  hundred 
^y  and  sixty  men  that  were  in  the  Merim  he  had  only  spared  the  life  of 
this  man  and  of  twenty  and  odd  children:  these  men  were  killed  towards 
the  account  of  the  forty  and  odd  Portuguese  who  were  killed  in  Calecut, 
and  the  children  were  baptisedjjn  account  of  a  boy  whom  the  Moors 
had  carried  away  to  make  a  Moor  of  him.  This  was  a  sample  of  the 
method  of  the  Portuguese  in  taking  compensation  for  any  injury  they 
received,  but  that  more  would  be  taken  in  his  own  city  of  Calecut, 
where  he  hoped  to  come  very  soon.  This  letter  was  given  to  the  Moor, 
and  he  was  carried  by  Pedraffonso  d'Aguiar,  captain  of  the  S.  Pantaliam^ 
who  set  him  down  at  Pandarane,  near  Calecut.  The  next  day,  when  the 
King  of  Cananor  had  said  he  would  send  people  to  settle  the  trade, 
there  came  four  chief  men  of  the  country,  two  Moors  and  two  Gentiles. 
They  began  to  speak  of  trade  and  prices,  and  Gama  found  much  differ- 
ence between  their  words  and  those  of  the  King ;  they  said  that  the 
King  had  not  got  any  spices,  but  only  the  duties  on  them,  all  the  rest 
belonged  to  the  merchants  who  traded  in  them  ;  and  that  the  King 
could  not  put  prices  on  other  men's  property,  still  less  the  prices  tliey 


OF    NEGOTIATIONS    AT    CANANOR.  327 

and  sainbuks  in  the  rivers ;  for  they  knew  what  the  captain- 
major  had  done  at  Onor  and  Batticala,  and  what  he  had  done 

named,  at  which  Joan  da  Nova  had  taken  cargo  and  Aires  Correa  had 
got  them  in  Calecut  before  the  rising  and  outbreak.  Although  the 
admiral  replied,  always  repeating  that  the  spices  were  to  be  given  to 
him  at  the  same  prices  at  which  they  had  been  given  to  the  Moors  of 
Mekkah,*  these  Moors  took  leave  of  him,  saying  that  they  would  give 
an  account  of  this  to  the  King.  After  this,  Gama,  seeing  that  nothing 
was  concluded,  and  that  the  King  was  two  leagues  oif,  as  the  sea  did 
not  agree  with  his  indisposition,  sent  to  him  Antonio  de  S£  with  three 
or  four  men,  and  a  minute,  requesting  that  the  King  would  decide 
matters  in  that  form.  In  answer  to  this,  Antonio  de  Sa  brought  word 
that  since  the  admiral  was  not  satisfied  with  the~prices  and  manner  in 
which  spices  would  be  given  him,  he  might  go  to  Cochym,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  terms  he  got  there,  such  would  the  merchants  of  Cananor 
give.  The  admiral  was  so  indignant  at  this  answer  that  he  summoned 
Payo  Rodrigues  and  those  who  remained  with  him,  telling  them  to  get 
on  board,  whilst  he  sent  to  take  leave  of  the  King  in  such  words,  that  it 
was  not  convenient  that  any  Portuguese  should  remain  there.  Payo 
Rodrigues,  seeing  the  determination  of  the  admiral,  requested  him  to 
allow  him  to  be  the  bearer  of  the  letter,  provided  that  it  was  in  moderate 
terms,  because  in  that  manner  he  hoped  to  obtain  some  good  conclusion, 
as  he  knew  the  manner  of  negotiating  with  those  people.  As  the  admiral 
thought  much  time  would  not  be  lost  in  trying  the  King  again,  he  sent 
Payo  Rodrigues  to  him,  to  complain  of  his  change  of  mind,  and  saying 
that  as  the  Moors  of  Cananor  had  so  much  power  over  his  will  as  to  be 
able  to  change  it,  he  would  next  morning  remove  from  there  to  Cochym, 
where  there  was  a  King  of  much  good  faith,  who  took  more  account  of 
the  Portuguese  than  of  the  Moors :  that  he  left  there  a  caravel  to  take 
up  his  messenger  and  the  rest  of  his  company,  and  he  gave  him  to  under- 
stand that  wherever  he  found  Moors  of  Cananor  he  would  treat  them 
like  those  of  Calecut,  and  he  held  as  cancelled  the  safe-conducts  which 
he  had  already  given  them  to  allow  them  to  navigate,  because  people 
who  disturbed  the  peace  and  concord  did  not  deserve  that  anyone  should 
keep  it  with  them.  With  this  message  he  sent  Payo  Rodrigues,  and  set 
sail  before  morning,  leaving  at  Cananor  Vicente  Sodre  in  his  ship,  and 
a  caravel  to  pick  up  Payo  Rodrigues.  In  the  next  chapter  (the  fifth) 
Barros  says  a  servant  of  Payo  Rodrigues  overtook  Gama  on  his  way  to 
Calecut  with  the  news  that  the  King  had  accepted  Gama's  conditions, 


*  That  is  to  say,  taking  no  account  of  the  rise  in  prices,  now  that  the 
number  of  purchasers  had  increased. 


828  VASCO    DA    GAMA 

to  the  ship  Mount  Dely,  which  belonged  to  a  brother  of  Coja^ 
Casein,  the  factor  of  the  sea  of  the  King  of  Calecut. !   The 
King  of  Calecut  thought  that  he  might  gain  time,^  so  that 

and  that  Vicente  Sodre  would  bring  a  document  of  it  signed  by  the 
King.  In  the  sixth  chapter,  he  says  that  the  King  settled  the  matter  with 
the  merchants  by  promising  to  refund  to  them  the  difference  between 
the  prices,  and  those  fixed  by  the  admiral,  out  of  his  dues,  as  he  valued 
the  friendship  of  the  Portuguese  more  than  the  increase  of  his  revenue. 

1  Barros  says  that  the  King  of  Calecut  sent  four  messages  to  Gama 
when  he  was  on  his  way  to  Calecut,  to  obtain  peace :  the  last  was  sent 
when  Gama  was  two  leagues  from  Calecut.  On  this  occasion  he  replied 
to  the  admiral's  requisitions  that  with  respect  to  payment  for  the  goods 
which  the  Portuguese  lost  in  the  outbreak  and  attack  by  the  people  of 
Calecut  on  the  factory  on  account  of  the  outrages  which  the  Portuguese 
themselves  had  committed,  that  the  admiral  ought  to  content  himself 
with  the  capture  of  the  Mekkah  ship,  which  amounted  to  more  value 
than  the  goods  which  Pedralvares  had  lost.  That  if  they  were  to  sum 
up  losses  and  damage  and  deaths  on  both  sides,  he  the  Zamorim  was  the 
one  most  offended ;  and  since  he  did  not  make  demands  for  restitution 
of  these  things,  though  much  required  by  the  clamours  of  his  people  to 
give  them  compensation  for  the  evils  they  had  suffered  from  the  Portu- 
guese, and  as  he  dissembled  with  this  clamour  from  his  desire  for  peace 
and  friendship  with  the  King  of  Portugal,  he,  the  admiral,  ought  not  to 
make  claims  for  past  matters,  and  ought  to  content  himself  with  coming 
to  the  city  of  Calecut,  where  he  would  find  the  spices  he  wanted.  With 
respect  to  what  the  admiral  said  of  his  expelling  from  his  kingdom  all 
the  Moors  of  Cairo  and  Mekkah,  he  gave  no  reply,  as  it  was  an  impossible 
thing  to  expel  more  than  four  thousand  families  of  them,  who  lived  in 
the  city  not  like  foreigners,  but  as  natives,  and  from  whom  his  kingdom 
had  received  much  profit.  That  if  the  admiral,  without  these  so  im- 
possible conditions  which  he  had  laid  down,  would  estabhsh  peace  and 
trade,  he  would  be  happy  to  do  so.  When  the  admiral  heard  words  so 
different  from  what  he  had  previously  heard  from  the  Zamorim,  as  he 
held  them  for  an  affront,  he  did  not  reply,  except  that  he  would  bring 
his  own  answer ;  and  the  messengers  had  hardly  returned  to  the  Zamorim 
when  he  had  anchored  before  the  city  of  Calecut.  Barros  goes  on  to  say 
that  Gama  had  captured  several  Malabar  men  to  serve  as  messengers  to 
the  Zamorim,  and  that  that  night  the  Zamorim  sint  a  Brahman  to  com- 
plain of  this,  saying  that  these  men  had  no  part  in  the  hatred  of  Gama 
against  the  Moors,  and  repeating  that  Gama  had  caused  more  loss  to 
Calecut  than  Calecut  to  him,  and  that  one  loss  should  stand  for  the 
other.  The  admiral,  who  was  already  indignant,  became  still  more  en- 
.  raged,  and  the  Brahman  ran  away  more  afraid  than  he  came. 


COMES  BEFORE  CALECUT.  329 

tlie  captain-major  should  not  do  him  harm;  and  when  his 
fleet  arrived  he  sent  him  a  Brahman  of  his  in  a  boat  with  a 
white  cloth  fastened  to  a  pole,  as  a  sign  of  peace.  This 
Brahman  came  dressed  in  the  habit  of  a  friar,  one  of  those 
who  had  been  killed  in  the  country  ;  and  on  reaching  the 
ship,  he  asked  for  a  safe  conduct  to  enter.  When  it  was 
known  that  he  was  not  a  friar, — for  the  captain-major  and 
everyone  had  been  joyful,  thinking  that  he  was  one  of  our 
friars, — seeing  that  he  was  not,  the  captain-major  gave  him  a 
safe  conduct,  and  bade  him  enter  the  ship.  He  said  to  the 
captain-major  :  "  Sir,  I  clothed  myself  with  this  habit  that 
they  might  not  drive  me  away  from  the  ships,  and  that  I 
might  come  and  give  you  a  good  message  ;^  for  the  King 
sends  to  tell  you  that  he  will  send  you  here,  where  you  are, 
twelve  MoprSjjwhom  he  has  arrested  for  some  time  since, 
who  were  the  chief  men  who  induced  him  to  make  the  great 
mistakes  which  he  made,  by  which  he  is  so  dishonoured  ; 
and  with  the  Moors  he  sends  you  twenty  thousand  cruzados, 
which  he  took  from  them,  for  payment  of  the  goods  which 
were  plundered  in  the  factory  :  and  this  he  does  only  for  his 
honour^s  sake  ;  and  Avith  you  he  wishes  for  neither  peace  nor 
war ;  and,  if  you  please,  he  will  immediately  send  these,  as 
soon  as  your  answer  arrives.^^  The  captain-major  was 
greatly  enraged,  for  he  understood  the  evil;  but  he  dis- 
sembled, and  ordered  the  Brahman  to  write  the  reply,  as  ho 
had  brought  palm-leaves  for  that  purpose  ;  and  the  captain- 
major  drew  up  a  document  for  the  King,  and  sent  to  tell 
him  that  he  greatly  rejoiced  that  he  recognised  the  fault 
which  he  had  committed;  and  that  since  he  did  justice  on 
those  who  had  made  him  do  it,  he  thus  acted  like  a  good 
King,  and  that  he  would  take  what  he  sent  him  ;  that  with 
respect  to  the  Moors,  he  grieved  that  they  were  few  out  of 

'  Osorio  mentions  the  messenger  coming  in  the  habit  of  a  Franciscan, 
for  the  reason  mentioned  in  the  text,  but  he  calls  him  an  Arab  instead 
of  a  Brahman. 


330  BOMBARDMENT    OF    CALECUT. 

the  many  wlio  had  done  the  evil,  and  that  he  would  be 
better  pleased  with  them  than  with  the  money,  for  at  Mount 
Dely  he  had  burned  a  few  of  them,  who  had  offered  him  so 
much  money  as  ransom,  as  he  (the  King  of  Calecut)  already 
knew ;  and  this  was  his  answer,  and  that  the  King  might  do 
as  he  pleased :  for  his  friar  whom  he  had  sent  would  remain 
waiting  until  his  answer  returned.  Upon  this  he  sent  away 
the  Indian  boat,  and  ordered  the  friar  to  be  well  secured.  | 
Next  day  the  King  sent  to  say,  by  the  same  boat,  that 
the  Moors  whom  he  had  got  to  send  offered  for  themselves 
twenty  thousand  pardaos  more,  if  he  pleased  that  he  should 
send  them.  The  captain-major  did  not  choose  to  answer, 
because  he  was  losing  time.  He  then  ordered  all  the  fleet 
to  draw  in  close  to  the  shore,  and  all  day,  till  night,  he  bom- 
barded the  city,  by  which  he  made  a  great  destruction;' 
and  he  did  not  choose  to  fire  more,  on  account  of  the 
damage  received  thereby  by  the  ships  which  had  to  return 
to  the  kingdom.  Then  he  stood  out  to  sea,  and  ordered 
Vicente  Sodre  to  remain  before  Calecut  in  a  small  ship  of 
Diogo  Fernandes  Correa  ;  and  Bras  Sodre,  his  brother,  in 
the  small  ship  of  Ruy  da  Cunha ;  and  in  another  small  ship 
of  Joan  Fernandes  de  Mello  he  put  Pero  d'Ataide,  his  rela- 
tion, and  Joan  Rodrigues  Badargas,  Antao  Vaz,  and  An- 
tonio Fernandes  Roxo,  with  three  caravels.  In  these  six  sail 
he  put  as  many  as  two  hundred  men,  amongst  whom  were 
many  cross-bow  men, — for  at  that  time  there  were  not  yet 
any  firelocks, — and  he  gave  them  more  artillery  and 
munitions.  Whilst  they  were  doing  this  business,  there 
came  in  from  the   ofiing  two  large   ships,  and  twenty-two 

>  Barros  says  the  Zamorim  had  put  along  the  front  of  the  city  a  stock- 
ade of  thick  palm  trees  since  Cabral  had  bombarded,  for  which  reason 
Gama  sent  all  the  smaller  vessels  close  in  shore,  whence  they  could 
reach  the  town:  he  says  the  bombardment  caused  great  destruction,  and 
killed  many  people.  Osorio  says  the  same,  and  adds  that  the  palace 
near  the  shore  was  destroyed. 


BUTCHERY  OF  MALABAR  CREWS.  331 

sambuks  and  Malabar  vessels,^  which  came  from  Coroman- 
del  laden  with  rice,  which  fhe  Moors  of  Calecut  had  ordered 
to  be  laden  there,  as  its  price  there  was  very  cheap,  and 
they  gained  much  by  it ;  and  they  came  to  fetch  the  port, 
thinking  that  our  ships,  if  they  had  come,  would  already  be 
at  Cochym,  and  not  at  Calecut;  but  our  fleet  having 
sighted  them,  the  caravels  went  to  them,  and  the  Moors 
could  not  fly,  as  they  were  laden,  and  the  caravels  brought 
them  to  the  captain-major,  and  all  struck  their  sails.  Six 
nakhodas  of  the  sambuks  then  came  to  fhe  captain-major, 
saying  they  were  from  Cananor,  and  mentioned  the  names 
of  the  factor  and  of  Ruy  de  Mendanha,  and  other  Portu- 
guese, at  which  the  captain-major  was  pleased.  He  then 
ordered  the  boats  to  go  and  plunder  the  small  vessels, 
which  were  sixteen,  and  the  two  ships,  in  which  they  found 
rice,  and  many  jars  of  butter,  and  many  bales  of  stuffs.  They 
then  gathered  all  this  together  into  the  ships,  with  the 
crews  of  the  two  large  ships,  and  he  ordered  the  boats  to 
get  as  much  rice  as  they  wanted,  and  they  took  that  of  four 
of  the  small  vessels,  which  they  emptied,  for  they  did  not 
want  more,  i  Then  the  captain-major  commanded  them  to 
cut  off  the  hands  and  ears  and  noses  of  all  the  crews,  and 
put  all  that  into  one  of  the  small  vessels,  into  which  he 
ordered  them  to  put  the  friar,  also  without  ears,  or  nose,  or 
hands,  which  he  ordered  to  be  strung  round  his  neck,^  with 
a  palm-leaf  for  the  King,  on  which  he  told  him  to  have  a 
curry  made  to  eat  of  what  his  friar  brought  him.  When  all 
the  Indians  had  been  thus  executed,  he  ordered  their  feet  to 
be  tied  together,  as  they  had  no  hands  with  which  to  untie 
them  :  and  in  order  that  they  should  not  untie  them  with 
their  teeth,  he  ordered  them  to  strike  upon  their  teeth  with 
staves,  and  they  knocked  them  down  their  throats ;  and 
they  were  thus  put  on  board,  heaped  up  upon  the  top  of 

'  Pager  or  paguel^  a  small  vessel  of  Malabar. 

'  ITie  admiral  had  given  this  man  a  safe-conduct.     See  above. 


332  BUTCHERY  AND  TORTURE 

each  other,  mixed  up  with  the  blood  which  streamed  from 
them  ;  and  he  ordered  mats  and  dry  leaves  to  be  spread 
over  them,  and  the  sails  to  be  set  for  the  shore,  and  the 
vessel  set  on  fire  :  and  there  were  more  than  eight  hundred 
Moors ;  and  the  small  vessel  with  the  friar,  with  all  the 
hands  and  ears,  was  also  sent  on  shore  under  sail,  with- 
out being  fired.  These  vessels  went  at  once  on  shore, 
where  many  people  flocked  together  to  put  out  the  fire,  and 
draw  out  those  whom  they  found  alive,  upon  which  they 
made  great  lamentations. 

The  friar  went  to  the  King's  presence,  with  the  wives  and 
relations  of  the  dead,  to  make  clamour  for  the  so  great  evil 
of  which  he  was  the  cause.  The  King  soothed  them,  taking 
great  oaths  that  he  would  expend  the  whole  of  his  kingdom 
in  avenging  them.  But  as  he  was  a  tyrant,  in  order  not 
to  expend  his  own  property,  he  summoned  before  him  the 
principal  Moors  of  the  city,  and  said  to  them,  that  they  well 
saw  the  great  dishonour  which  had  been  done  him,  which 
was  through  his  taking  their  counsel,  and  that,  besides  his 
dishonour,  his  heart  grieved  at  the  cries  and  lamentations 
of  the  women  and  people,  who  were  relations  of  the  slain  ; 
and  he  made  oaths  that  he  would  avenge  them,  and 
would  therefore  spend  all  his  treasure  for  vengeance ;  that 
they  should  therefore  take  the  trouble  to  make  and  bring 
together  a  fleet  throughout  all  his  kingdom,  as  large  as  they 
could,  and  for  all  of  it  he  would  give  pay,  at  his  cost,  to  the 
men-at-arms.  The  Moors,  when  they  heard  this,  gave  him 
great  praises,  and  off'ered  to  spend  their  lives  and  properties 
for  vengeance  :  especially  Coja  Kasim,  who  was  present,  with 
grief  for  the  death  of  his  brother,  who  was  killed  in  the  ship 
at  Marabia,  and  they  at  once  elected  him  to  be  captain- 
major.  So  all  set  to  work  with  great  diligence  throughout 
the  kingdom  of  Calecut,  which  has  many  rivers,  to  construct 
many  armed  paraos  and  large  rowing  vessels  and  sambuks, 
and  laro-c  ships,  decided  on  fighting  with  our  fleet  when  it 


OF    MALABAR    PRISONERS.  333 

should  come  laden,  and  to  board  it,  and  set  fire  to  it  with  a 
quantity  of  dry  leaves,  which  they  would  carry  for  that  pur- 
pose; and  having  lighted  the  fire  which  was  to  burn  our 
ships  and  theirs,  they  would  throw  themselves  into  the  sea, 
and  escape  by  swimming  in  the  boats  which  they  would  take 
equipped  for  that  purpose.  So  they  made  a  very  great  fleet, 
with  which  they  went  out  to  fight  ours,  as  I  will  relate 
further  on. 

The  captain-major  ordered  Vicente  Sodre  to  return  to 
Cananor  with  his  fleet,  and  to  take  there  the  two  ships  and 
the  six  small  vessels  ;  and  if  they  belonged  to  Cananor,  as 
they  said,  and  if  the  King  said  so  too,  he  was  to  let  them 
go ;  and  from  the  ships  and  twelve  small  vessels  of  Calecut 
the  factor  was  to  collect  as  much  rice  as  he  could,  and  the 
butter,  and  what  had  remained  over  in  the  ships  and  small 
vessels,  and  give  it  all  to  the  King  ;  and  that  the  Indians 
might  relate  what  they  saw  done  -to  those  of  Calecut,  which 
being  related  by  them  caused  great  dread  amongst  the 
people,  who  praised  the  King  for  the  good  peace  which  he 
had  established  with  the  Portuguese,  by  which  they  were 
free  from  such  great  evils.  The  captain-major  also  ordered 
Vicente  Sodre  that  after  leaving  the  small  vessels  at  Ca- 
nanor, he  was  to  return  at  once  and  go  to  Cochym,  doing 
all  the  damage  which  he  could.^  Vicente  Sodre  then  went 
to  Cananor,  and  the  captain-major  sailed  for  Cochym. 

In  this  occurrence  with  these  Malabar  vessels,  there  hap- 
pened a  case  which  it  seemed  to  me,  in  reason,  ought  not  to 
be  forgotten.  There  came  in  these  vessels  of  Moors  of 
Choromandel,  natives  of  the  country,  who,  seeing  the  execu- 
tions which  were  being  carried  out, — for  they  hung  up  some 
men  by  the  feet  in  the  vessels  which  were  sent  ashore,  and 
when  thus  hung  up  the  captain-major  ordered  the  cross-bow 
men  to  shoot  arrows  into  them,  that  the  people  on  shore 

'  Osorio  says  that  after  the  bombardment  of  Calecut,  Gama  went  to 
Cochym,  and  left  Vicente  Sodre  with  six  ships  to  infest  all  the  coast. 


334  MIRACLE    SEEN    DURING    THE    BUTCHERY, 

might  see  it ;  and  when  it  was  intended  to  do  the  same  to 
these  men  of  Choromandel,  they  called  out  that  they  should 
I  make  them  Christian^,  naming  Thomas,  who  had  been  in 
\  their  country ;  and  they  shouted  this  out,  and  raised  their 
hands  to  heaven.^  This,  from  pity,  was  repeated  to  the 
captain-major,  who  ordered  them  to  be  told,  that  even 
though  they  became  Christians,  that  still  he  would  kill 
them.  They  answered,  that  they  did  not  beg  for  life,  but 
only  to  be  made  Christians,  Then,  by  order  of  the  captain- 
major,  a  priest  gave  them  holy  baptism.  They  were  three, 
who  entreated  the  priest,  saying  that  they  wished  for  once 
only  to  say  our  prayer  ;  and  the  priest  said  the  Pater  noster 
and  Ave  Maria,  which  they  also  repeated.  When  this  was 
finished,  then  they  hung  them  up  strangled,  that  they  might 
not  feel  the  arrows.  The  cross-bow  men  shot  arrows  and 
transfixed  the  others ;  but  the  arrows  which  struck  these 
did  not  go  into  them  nor  make  any  mark  upon  them,  but 
fell  down.  This  having  been  seen,  in  the  case  of  many 
arrows  which  they  shot  at  them  to  confirm  themselves, — for 
it  was  always  so, — and  no  arrow  wounded  them,  it  was  told 
to  the  captain-major,  and  grieved  him  much;  and  he  ordered 
them  to  be  shrouded  and  put  into  baskets ;  and  the  priest 
commended  them  with  his  psalms  for  the  dead,  and  they 
cast  them  into  the  sea,  all  saying  prayers  for  their  souls,  as 
for  faithful  Christians,  which  the  Lord  was  pleased  of  His 
great  mercy  to  show  in  those  who  were  Gentiles,  who  went 
in  the  company  of  the  Mooi's  gaining  their  livelihood.^ 

'  These  men  probably  were  Christians  of  St.  Thomas. 

2  Barros  says,  after  describing  the  bombardment  of  Calecut,  "when 
it  was  evening,  to  take  leave  of  them,  and  for  greater  terror,  the 
admiral  ordered  them  to  cut  off  from  those  who  had  been  executed,  who 
were  thirty-two,  the  lieads,  hands,  and  feet,  and  they  were  put  into  a 
boat  with  a  letter,  which  said  that  if  these  men  wlio  were  not  the  same 
who  were  at  the  death  of  the  Portuguese,  but  only  for  being  of  kin 
with  the  dwellers  in  Calecut,  had  received  that  chastisement,  the  authors 
of  that  treachery  might  expect  another  more  cruel  kind  of  death.     This 


VICENTE    SODRE    SENT    TO    CANANOR.  3o5 


CHAPTER   IX. 

How  the  floot  sailed  for  Cocliyni,  and  Vicente  Sodre  ■\vitli  In's  fleet  re- 
turned to  Cananor  with  the  Malabar  ve^seLs  laden  with  rice,  and  of 
■what  he  did  to  a  INIoor  who  had  gone  away  without  paying  the 
duties  to  the  King  of  Cananor. 

Whilst  the  captain-major  was  setting  sail  for  Cocliymj  and 
Vicente  Sodre  was  already  under  sail,  there  arrived  with 
great  haste  an  Indian  boat  with  a  letter  from  the  King  of 
Cananor,  in  which  he  complained  to  him  that  a  great  Moor 
had  laden  in  his  ports  with  other  Moors  eight  ships,  with 
which  they  had  gone  away  without  paying  him  much  money 
which  they  owed  of  the  duties,  and  to  the  owners  of  the 
goods,  with  many  other  offences  which  they  had  committed 
in  the  country,  of  robbery  and  violence,  the  Moor  saying 
that  he  was  afraid  of  nobody ;  and  he  had  gone  out  of  the 
port  from  which  he  had  taken  his  three  ships.  The  captain - 
major,  on  seeing  the  letter,  without  delay  sent  the  Indian 
boat  after  Vicente  Sodre,  who  was  still  in  sight,  and  in  it 
he  sent  one  of  his  men  to  tell  Vicente  Sodre  not  to  delay, 
and  to  attend  to  this.  The  Indian  boat,  with  sail  and  oars, 
overhauled  Vicente  Sodre,  and  gave  him  the  message.     He 

boat  was  sent  with  one  Andre  Dias,  who  was  afterwards  almoxarife  of 
the  warehouse  in  the  kingdom.  The  admiral  ordered  the  trunks  of  the 
bodies  belonging  to  these  limbs  to  be  cast  into  the  sea  when  the  tide 
was  rising,  so  that  they  might  go  ashore  in  sight  of  the  people,  for 
them  to  see  how  much  was  the  cost  of  treachery  against  the  Portuguese, 
and  how  much  any  damage  done  to  them  would  be  avenged."  This 
struck  such  terror  into  the  city  that  the  Gentiles  abandoned  it,  and  the 
Moors  to  whom  the  guard  of  the  sea  front  was  confided  did  not  venture 
to  show  themselves,  and  the  admiral  might  have  sacked  the  city  easily. 
Two  days  after  the  bombardment,  Gama  took  the  provisions  out  of  a 
ship  which  he  had  captured  here,  and  set  fire  to  it  before  the  city,  and 
then  sailed  for  Cochym.  Osorio  does  not  mention  the  bombai'dment  of 
Calecut. 


336  SODKE    COMPELS    A    MOORISH    CAPTAIN 

on  the  next  day  with  the  sea-breeze  reached  Cananor,  the 
Moor  being  in  the  offing  with  his  ships  in  order  to  depart 
at  night  with  the  land  breeze.  Vicente  Sodre  sent  by  the 
Indian  boat  to  tell  the  King  that  he  was  there^  and  the 
Moor  also  with  his  ships,  and  that  if  he  ordered  it,  he 
would  there  at  once  send  them  to  the  bottom  or  burn  them, 
and  that  His  Highness  should  order  what  he  was  to  do.  The 
King  sent  him  his  thanks,  and  to  say  that  he  should  neither 
send  the  ships  to  the  bottoin  nor  sink  them,  that  they 
might  not  say  in  other  countries  that  the  Portuguese  burned 
the  ships  of  merchants  in  his  port,  because  that  would  be 
his  dishonour ;  that  it  was  sufficient  for  the  Moor  to  see  that 
he  was  there,  and  he  would  pay  at  once  all  that  he  owed. 
Then  Vicente  Sodre  sent  his  skiflF  to  tell  the  Moor  to  go  on 
shore  at  once  with  the  merchants  and  pay  to  the  King  all 
that  was  owed  to  him,  that  since  he  was  an  honest  merchant 
he  should  not  act  like  a  thief  who  went  away  without  pay- 
ing what  he  owed ;  because  he  was  a  captain  of  the  King  of 
Portugal,  and  was  not  going  to  consent  to  injury  being  done 
to  those  who  were  his  friends,  as  was  the  King  of  Cananor, 
and  that  he  might  be  sure  that  if  he  found  he  had  set  sail, 
that  he  would  follow  in  search  of  him  as  far  as  Mekkah,  and 
would  burn  his  ships  ;  and  that  on  his  arrival  here,  he  had 
wished  to  send  and  burn  them,  if  the  King  had  allowed 
him  to  do  it,  and  therefore  he  had  better  at  once  do  what 
he  ordered,  and  go  and  pay  what  he  owed. 

The  Moor  was  much  frightened,  and  went  on  shore  at 
once  in  his  boat,  where  he  went  to  make  out  his  accounts 
with  the  King's  minister  and  officials,  and  paid  everything 
without  leaving  anything  owing,  of  which  he  took  his  re- 
ceipts, uttering  much  to  the  dishonour  of  them  and  of  the 
King,  so  he  went  haughtily  to  go  on  board,  accompanied  by 
many  armed  Moors ;  he  then  went  to  Vicente  Sodre  and 
shewed  him  the  palm  leaf  documents,  which  were  certificates 
that  he  had  paid  everything,  and  Sodre  told  him- that  he 


TO    PAT    HJS    DKBTS.  837 

might  go  away  and  welcome ;  so  he  went  away  and  at  once 
set  sailj  as  there  was  a  land  breeze,  and  as  it  fell  calm  he 
again  anchored  off  the  shore.  1  The  King,  on  learning  the 
injurious  words  which  the  Moor  had  spoken  against  him, 
and  against  his  mother,  sent  to  tell  it  to  Vicente  Sodre, 
who,  on  hearing  of  it,  sent  a  boat  to  tell  the  Moor  to  come 
to  where  he  was  when  the  sea-breeze  sprung  up,  and  if  he 
did  not  wisli  to  come  with  the  ships,  it  would  be  sufficient 
if  he  came  at  once  in  his  boat.  So  the  Moor  was  much 
disturbed,  and  not  being  able  to  do  anything  else,  got  into 
his  boat  with  twelve  or  fifteen  Moorish  merchants,  with, 
a  bag  of  money  to  pay  if  they  demanded  more  of  him,  be- 
cause he  did  not  imagine  what  was  the  matter.  When  he 
reached  Sodre's  ship  he  was  intending  to  go  on  board  ;  but 
the  captain  told  him  not  to  come  in,  as  he  would  go  on 
shore  with  him  to  finish  paying  that  which  still  remained 
owing  ;  and  he  left  the  Moor  remaining  in  the  boat  in  the 
sun,  which  was  very  hot,  until  he  had  finished  dining.  Then 
he  got  into  his  skiff,  and  the  captains  also  accompanied  him 
in  theirs.  On  reaching  the  shore  he  did  not  ground  the 
boat,  which  he  ordered  to  be  anchored  with  a  grapnel. 
Then  he  sent  to  call  the  ministers  and  Gozil,  and  all  the 
King's  officials,  who  arrived  with  many  people  who  came  to 
see;  and  when  they  came  to  the  waterside,  the  captain  asked 
them  how  it  was  they  had  let  the  Moor  go  away  without 
paying  what  he  owed  to  the  King,  which  showed  that  their 
receipts  were  false,  as  they  said  that  he  had  paid  everything 
and  did  not  owe  anything.  They  said  that  the  Moor  had 
paid  what  he  owed  in  money,  and  that  they  had  given  their 
receipts  with  truth.  The  captain  replied  that  if  the  receipts 
were  true,  they  were  false,  and  were  not  gentlemen,  since  they 
had  made  the  Moor  pay  the  money  which  he  owed,  and  had  not 
taken  payment  from  him  for  the  injurious  words  which  he 
had  spoken  against  the  King  iheii^  sovereign,  and  had  suf- 
fei'ed  a  circumcised  Moor  to  speak  what  he  had  spoken,  and 


ooS  TREATMENT    OF    TIIK    MOORISH    CAI'TAIN. 

let  him  go  witliout  paying  for  it.  Then  he  ordered  two 
j  Negro  sailors  to  strip  the  Moor,  and  tie  hira  to  the  boat's 
inast^y  the  waist  and  feet  and  neckj.  and  to  give  him  with 
two  tarred  ropes  so  many  stripes  on  the  back  and  stomach, 
which,  was  very  fat,  that  he  remained  like  dead,  for  he 
swooned  from  the  blood  which  flowed  from  him.  Upon 
this  he  ordered  him  to  be  unbound,  and  he  remained 
stretched  out,  half  dead.  Then  Vicente  Sodre  said  to  the 
other  Moors  :  "  Since  he  was  going  away  like  a  thief  with- 
out paying  what  he  owed,  and  because  I  made  him  pay  it, 
he  spoke  words  insulting  to  the  King,  who  is  a  brother  in 
affection  of  the  King  my  Sovereign ;  and  that  he  may 
never  more  speak  other  such  words,  I  will  order  him  to  be 
chastised  on  his  mouth."  Then  he  oi'dered  them  to  put  dirt 
into  his  mouth,  and  on  the  top  of  it  a  piece  of  bacon,  fast- 
ened on,  which  he  sent  to  fetch  for  that  purpose  from  the 
ship,  and  with  his  mouth  gagged  with  a  short  stick,  and 
his  hands  tied  behind  him,  he  ordered  the  others  to  take  him 
away  and  go  and  embark. 

The  Moors  offered  ten  thousand  pardaos  of  gold,  which 
were  in  the  bag,  if  they  would  not  put  the  dirt  in  his  mouth. 
This  the  captain  would  not  take,  saying  that  merchandise 
was  paid  for  with  money,  but  not  so  the  honour  of  Kings 
and  of  great  lords.  '^  And  do  you  relate  this,  that  this 
Moor  may  not  say  that  they  did  it  to  him  without  reason, 
because  money  pays  for  merchandise,  and  blows  for  words." 
He  ordered  them  to  go  away  at  once,  and  not  to  remain 
longer  there;  and  if  he  again  spoke  ill  of  the  King,  he  would 
go  and  seek  for  him  at  the  end  of  the  world,  and  would  flay 
him  alive,  because  the  Moors  were  now  to  worship  the  friends 
of  the  King  of  Portugal  with  their  heads  on  the  ground. 
This  Moor  Avas  a  native  of  Cairo,  and  carried  on  a  larg-e 
trade  in  all  the  ports  of  the  straits  of  Mekkah,  powerful 
with  much  wealth,  from  the  great  trade  which  he  had  on  the 
coast   of  Melinde.     He  was  named  Cojemamemarcar,  who 


PRUCEKUINGS    AT    CANANOR.  tJoO 

later  did   much   injuiy  to  avengo  himself'^  as  I  will  relate 
further  on.^ 

The  King  was  much  pleased  with  this  great  satisfaction  of 
his  honour,  which  he  held  to  be  greater  than  any  other 
which  he  could  obtain  in  the  world  ;  and  on  this  account 
the  country  people  spoke  very  well  of  our  people,  and  the 
Moors  were  greatly  depressed.  This  was  much  spoken  of 
through  all  the  coasts  of  India.  When  it  was  related  in 
Cochym,  the  captain-major  and  the  others  were  much 
pleased  at  it.  The  King  sent  to  ^aptain_Sodi'e  many 
thanks  and  a  gratification  of  a  thousand  pardaos  of  gold, 
and  also  ordex'ed,  that  as  long  as  he  remained  in  his  port  or 
on  shore  he  should  have  a  gold  pardao  each  day  for  fowls 
for  his  table  ;  and  that  this  pardao  should  be  assigned  to  as 
many  captains  as  there  might  be  by  sea  or  land,  who  acted 
in  his  service.  This  he  always  continued  doing,  and  those 
who  also  descended  from  him,  as  it  is  now  at  the  present 
day,  for  all  the  captains  of  Cananor  receive  this  pardao  of 
the  King's  each  day  for  their  table.  The  rice  and  things  of 
the  ships  and  Malabar  vessels  were  gathered  together  into 
large  buildings,  which  were  made  into  a  magazine,  and  there 
was  so  much  that  a  great  deal  remained  in  superabundance, 
and  the  factor  distributed  it,  and  gave  much  to  the  Nairs, 
and  servants,  and  labourers  who  served  in  the  town,  and  in 
exchange  for  it  he  bought  oil  and  cocoa-nuts,  and  things  for 
the  fleet :  and  in  this  he  employed  another  ship,  for  these 
ships  were  very  large,  and  each  one  carried  more  than  a 
thousand-  measures"  of  rice  ;  and  as  the  twelve  Malabar 
vessels  remained  over,  the  factor  gave  them  laden,  and  the 

^  Coja  Mehmed  Marcar :  Marcar  is  a  title  or  designation  of  Southern 
India.  Corrca  relates,  in  his  history  of  the  year  1507,  that  it  was  prin- 
cijially  owing  to  liis  instigation  and  encouragement  that  Mir  Hussein 
and  the  Turkish  fleet  followed  the  Portuguese  into  the  river  of  Chaul, 
where  the  action  took  place  in  which  D.  Lorenzo  d'Almeida  was  killed. 

^  Moyo^  a  measure  containing  sixty  alqueires,  each  of  which  is  equal 
to  a  peck  and  three  quarts  and  a  pint. 


340  GAMA    COMKS    TO    COCHIM 

ships  empty  to  the  King,  for  so  the  captain-major  had 
written  him  orders.  At  this  the  King  was  much  pleased, 
and,  to  make  rejoicings,  ordered  one  of  the  laden  Malabar 
vessels  to  be  brought  ashoi*e  on  the  beach  for  the  poor 
women  to  fetch  rice  from  it ;  and  he  sent  a  guard  to  prevent 
any  man  or  boy  from  taking  rice,  which  was  only  for  the 
women  ;  upon  which  the  people  uttered  much  praise  and 
good  things  to  the  King  and  to  the  Portuguese  ;  and  Vi- 
ceute  Sodre  departed  with  his  fleet  to  cruise  along  the 
coast. 


CHAPTER   X. 


How  the  fleet  reached  Cochym,  and  the  captain-major  saw  the  King; 
and  of  the  great  honours  which  he  did  him,  and  of  the  agreement 
■which  he  settled  with  the  King  for  the  prices  and  weights  of  mer- 
chandise, and  articles  which  were  to  be  bought  and  sold  in  the 
factory,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  merchants. 

The  fleet  sailed  from  Calecut  to  Cochym ;  the  captain- 
major  did  as  much  harm  as  he  could  on  the  way  to  all  that 
he  found  at  sea,  for  the  armed  boats  ran  along  the  coast, 
which  was  all  clear  of  rocks,  and  also  the  caravels.  Thus 
he  came  to  anchor  at  the  bar,^  where  the  factor,  Gil  Fer- 
nandez Barbosa,  came  immediately  from  the  factory,  with 
Lorenzo  Moreno,  the  clerk,  and  the  Portuguese,  and  the 
captain-major  received  them  all  with  honour  and  satisfac- 
tion, and  all  related  to  him  the  many  kindnesses  of  the 
King  of  Cochym,  and  the  proofs  he  had  given  of  good 
friendship.  Immediately  after  there  came  a  visit  which  the 
King  sent  to  the  captain-major  by  one  of  his  Nairs,  for 
which  the  captain-major  sent  his  best  thanks.  The  factor 
went  on  shore  and  sent  pilots  for  the  bar,  so  the  captain- 

'  Barros,  Dec.  i,  lib.  vi,  cap.  v,  says  Garaa  arrived  at  Cochym  on  the 

7th  November. 


AND    VISITS    THE    KING.  341 

major  embarked  in  the  caravels  and  small  vessels  and  boats, 
all  under  sail,  with  flags  and  trumpets,  and  they  went  up 
the  river  in  front  of  the  King's  palace.  The  captain-major 
left  in  charge  and  as  commander  of  the  ships  which  re- 
mained at  the  bar  Dom  Alvaro  de  Meneses,  an  honourable 
gentleman  vfh.o  came  in  his  company,  and  the  captain- 
major  coming  to  anchoi',  all  the  vessels  and  boats  which 
carried  swivel-guns  fired  a  salute,  with  the  clang  of  trum- 
pets and  kettledrums  and  shouts ;  and  there  came  a  visit 
from  the  King  by  one  of  his  ministers,  and  as  it  was  late 
the  captain-major  slept  on  board.  Next  day  he  went  on 
shore,  the  King  being  ready  with  his  state  to  receive  him. 
The  captain-major  went  out  in  his  boat  with  his  canopy  of 
crimson  velvet,  very  richly  dressed,  and  so  also  were  the 
captains  and  all  the  crews.  The  King,  accompanied  by  his 
people,  came  to  the  waterside,  where  the  captain-major 
made  great  salutations  to  him.  The  King  took  between 
}iis  hands  the  right  hand  of  the  captain-major  and  placed  it 
on  his  breast,  which  was  the  greatest  honour  he  could  shew 
him  ;  and  so  together  they  went  to  his  palace,  the  captain- 
major  and  his  captains  and  gentlemen  shewing  him  great 
marks  of  respect.  There  the  King  sat  down  on  his  dais  in 
a  court,  and  made  the  captain-major  sit  near  him,  and  then 
made  inquiries  concerning  the  health  of  the  King  and  of 
the  Queen,  and  their  children,  according  to  their  custom. 
To  all  this  the  captain-major  made  replies  with  courtesy, 
giving  him  great  praise  for  having  so  perfectly  kept  faith 
with  the  King  his  sovereign,  on  which  account  they  had 
become  true  brothers  in  affection,  and  would  be  so  for 
ever,  and  those  also  who  descended  from  him,  as  he  would 
see  by  the  King  of  Portugal's  letters,  which  he  took  out  of 
a  wrappei",  and  kissed,  and  put  into  his  hand  :  so  that  the 
King's  people  esteemed  that  act  of  kissing  the  letter  as  a 
great  courtesy.  He  presented  to  the  King  a  goblet  with  a 
pedestal,  with  its  lid,  which  contained  two  thousand  cruzadoSj_ 


3i2  GAMA'a    AUDIENCE 

and  a  piece  of  brocade,  and  twenty  pieces  of  velvets,  satins, 
coloured  damasks,  and  a  chair  covered  with  brocade,  and 
studded  witli  silver  nails,  with  its  cushions  to  match  :  all 
which  tlie  King  received  with  much  pleasure.  He  also  gave 
to  the  King  letters  from  his  young  Nair  who  had  remained 
in  the  kingdom,  in  which  he  wrote  to  him  of  the  great 
things  of  Portugal.  The  King,  in  speaking  of  the  cargo, 
told  him  to  be  at  his  ease,  as  he  would  give  him  as  much 
cargo  as  he  might  want,  and  that  the  factor  had  already 
got  a  large  quantity  of  pepper,  but  that  he  ought  to  use 
much  expedition  in  taking  in  his  cargo,  because  he  knew 
of  a  certainty  that  the  Zamqrin^was  preparing  a  great  fleet 
to  come  and  fight  with  liim  ;  and  therefore  it  was  fitting 
that  he  should  always  keep  a  good  watch  in  the  ships,  and 
that  at  night  the  boats,  or  large  Indian  boats  with  full 
I  crews,  which  he  would  order  to  be  given  him,  should  al- 
ways watch  around  the  ships,  so  that  they  should  not  come 
at  night  to  cut  the  cables,  by  which  means  they  would  be 
lost  on  the  coast  with  the  wind,  for  it  blew  very  hard  till 
midnight.  The  captain-major  at  all  this  made  great  saluta- 
tions and  very  complimentary  speeches :  the  Prince  then 
entered,  who  came  from  without  to  see  the  captain-major. 
When  he  entered,  with  his  sword  and  buckler,  he  placed 
himself  before  the  King,  with  his  feet  close  together,  and 
laid  down  his  buckler  against  his  legs,  and  put  his  sword 
under  his  arm,  and  joined  his  hands  together,  raising  them 
above  his  head,  and  lowered  them  closed  together  to  his 
breast.  When  he  entered,  the  captain-major  remained  all 
the  time  standing,  until  the  Prince  had  finished  his  saluta- 
tion to  the  King;  then  he  turned  towards  the'  captain-major, 
who  saluted  him  with  his  knee  on  the  ground.  The  Prince 
took  his  right  hand  between  his,  as  the  King  had  done,  and 
spoke  to  him  words  of  friendship.  As  it  was  now  the 
dinner  hour,  the  captain-major  took  leave  of  the  King  to 
return  at  once  to  the  ships,  with  which  the  King  was  satis- 


OF    'I'lIE    KIXG    OF    COCIUM.  31'3 

fied  :  and  wlieu  he  wislied  to  take  leave  of  the  Prince,  he 
went  witli  him  down  to  the  beach,  where  they  took  leave  of 
one  another  with  their  salutations.  The  captain-major  ate 
in  haste,  and  went  to  the  ships  before  the  sea  breeze  sprang 
up.  The  King  sent  to  the  ships  which  were  in  the  river  a 
great  abundance  of  fresh  provisions.  The  captain-major 
sent  to  the  factor  a  handsome  sword  with  an  enamelled  gold 
pommel,  to  give  to  the  Prince ;  and  he  was  much  pleased 
with  it,  and  always  took  it  with  him  covered  with  a  silk 
wrapper,  and  a  ])age  carried  it.^ 

'  Osorio  gives  a  similar  account  of  this  interview,  and  of  the  good 
account  given  of  the  King  by  the  Portuguese  to  Gama :  the  King,  he 
says,  gave  several  gifts  for  1).  Manuel,  amongst  which  were  two  jewelled 
bracelets,  and  one  very  large  precious  stone.  Barros  differs  a  little ;  he 
describes  the  factor  Gonzalo  Gil  Barbosa  as  having  warned  Gama  that 
the  King  of  Cochym  was  doubtful,  and  had  been  invited  by  the  Zamorim 
to  join  with  him  in  a  league  against  the  Portuguese  Avilh  the  King  of 
Cananor.  Upon  which  Gama  sent  Vicente  Sodre  to  cruise  near  Calecut, 
and  came  to  Cochym.  The  King  of  Cochym  had  not  yet  seen  Gama, 
and  as  he  knew  that  a  Calecut  ship  belonging  to  a  Moor  of  Calecut, 
named  Nine  Mercar,  was  coming  into  his  port,  he  sent  to  beg  the 
admiral  not  to  waylay  that  ship  which  was  coming  into  his  j^ort,  al- 
though it  was  from  Calecut.  The  admiral  replied  that  the  port  was  his, 
and  that  his  ships  were  there  to  do  what  he  ordered,  which  was  the 
chief  command  he  had  from  his  sovereign  ;  therefore  that,  and  all  other 
ships  from  Calecut,  which  he  pleased,  would  be  treated  as  his,  though 
they  were  the  greatest  enemies  of  the  Portuguese.  The  King  was  so 
pleased  with  this  message  that  he  settled  to  see  the  admiral  next  day, 
which  interview  took  place  like  that  with  the  King  of  Cananor.  During 
that  they  talked  of  the  prices  and  trade  in  spices,  and  were  not  well 
satisfied,  so  that  (iama  found  the  King  of  Cochym  acting  like  the  King 
of  Cananor,  and  from  that  believed  what  the  factor  had  told  him.  After 
that,  the  King,  to  shew  that  he  acted  of  his  own  free  will,  left  all  his 
state,  and  with  only  six  or  .seven  of  his  chief  men  got  into  a  boat  and 
came  on  board  the  admiral's  caravel  whilst  it  was  going  down  the  river, 
and  told  Gama  that  he  had  seen  he  was  rather  dissatisfied,  and  that 
this  was  more  because  he  was  difficult  to  satisfy  than  that  he  was 
unwilling  to  make  concessions,  and  therefore  he  came  to  put  himself  in 
his  power.  When  the  admiral  saw  the  trust  with  which  he  came  on 
board  the  caravel,  and  the  grace  with  which  he  spoke,  he  thought  all 
this  proceeded  from  the  guoJness  of  (iod,  and  he  thanked  the  King,  and 


oii  TKADK    AT    COCHIM. 

The  captain-major  hurried  the  workmen  so  that  every 
two  days  they  heeled  down  a  ship,  and  the  caulkers  worked 
by  day,  and  at  night  the  sailors  carried  the  stages  to 
another  ship,  and  when  a  ship  was  finished,  it  at  once  took 
in  cargo.  Thus  they  loaded  five  large  ships,  and  six  small 
vessels,  little  less  in  size,  the  captains  of  which  were  D. 
Luis  Coutinho,  D.  Alvaro  d^Ataide,  Pero  Afonso  d'Aguiar, 
Gil  Fernandes  de  Sousa,  Alvaro  de  Sousa,  Gil  Matoso, 
Vasco  Fernandes  Tinoco,  Ruy  Lorenzo  Ravasco,  Diogo 
Fernandes  Peteira,  and  Pero  de  Mendoca.  Gil  Fernandes 
Barbosa,  the  former  factor,  had  negotiated  this  cargo,  for 
he  had  already  bought  much  cargo,  and  Lorenzo  Moreno 
and  Alvaro  Vaz  de  Goes  served  as  clerks,  and  the  factor 
Diogo  Fernandes  Correa  was  present,  and  made  the  pay- 
ments, because  he  brought  all  the  goods  which  had  come  in 
^ the  fleet;  and  when  the  loading  the  cargo  was  ended,  Gil 
\Fernandes  Barbosa  went  in  the  ships  to  be  factor  at 
Cananor,  as  thus  it  had  been  appointed  by  the  King.  The 
factory  was  in  some  large  houses  which  the  King  had  given 
for  that  purpose  in  the  place  where  later  the  weighing 
wharf  was  made,  close  to  a  tank  of  water.  They  landed  all 
the  merchandise  at  the  factory,  which  consisted  of  much 
lout  and  branch  coral,  much  copper  in  pigs  and  sheets, 
I  quicksilver,  vermilion,  rugs,  Flanders  brass  basins,  coloured 
cloths,  scarlet  cloths,  knives,  red  barret-caps,  mirrors,  and 
j coloured  silks:  and  all  these  things  were  bought  by  the 
Moors  who  traded  in  pepper,  which  they  brought  from  the 
hills  where  it  grew,  by  laud  in  Bisnegd,  and  Balagate,  and 
Cambay,  by  which  they  made  great  profit.  Since  the  cap- 
tain-major had  been  much  charged  by  the  King  to  establish 
the  weights  and  prices  of  everything,  so  that  they  should 
remain  fixed  for  ever,  and  should  not  be  raised  or  lowered, 
he   did  not   choose   to  alter  anything  not  to    disturb    the 

they  settled  the  prices  of  the  spices,  and  made  written  agreements  con- 
cerning them,  v.'hich  last  till  the  present  day. 


TRADE    AT    COCIIIM.  3  Lo 

taking  in  cargo,  but  having  now  taken  in  all  the  pepperj 
and  almost  all  the  drugs,  the  captain-major  who  had  taken 
all  the  information  from  the  factor  about  the  prices  and 
weights  which  were  current  in  the  country,  and  had  inade 
a  minute  of  what  could  be  ameliorated  in  the  matter  of  buy- 
ing and  selling,  asked  leave  of  the  King  to  go  and  speak  to 
him  of  things  which  it  was  requisite  that  he  should  settle 
with  him  and  his  ministers  and  the  merchants.  The  King 
ordered  that  that  he  should  come,  whilst  the  captains  and 
crews  remained  in  the  ships,  for  he  was  certain  that  the 
fleet  of  Calecut  was  now  i-eady.  The  King  then  ordered  that 
the  ships  and  caravels  which  were  in  the  river  should  go 
out  of  it,  and  that  the  caravels  should  always  cruise  along 
the  coast  to  keep  watch  :  the  captain-major  gave  good  in- 
structions with  regard  to  this,  and  leaving  everything  well 
arranged,  he  went  on  shore  to  the  factory  buildings,  where 
the  King  was  waiting  for  him,  and  received  him  with  all 
honours.  The  captain-major  told  him  that  the  King  his 
brother,  as  he  hoped  in  God  that  the  peace  and  friendship 
between  them  wpujd  last  for^eyer,  so  he  desired  to  settle  all 
his  affairs  so  that  they  should  last  for  ever;  and  because  the 
merchandise  and  business  of  trade  passed  through  the  hands 
of  foreign  merchants,  it  was  very  necessary  to  come  to  an 
agreement  with  them  as  to  the  weights  and  prices  of  all 
things,  according  to  what  they  were  worth  in  the  country, 
and  as  to  this  they  should  make  an  arrangement  which 
should  last  for  ever,  so  that  there  should  never  be  novelties 
of  lowering  or  raising  the  prices,  on  no  account,  and  this  in 
order  that  there  should  not  be  disputes  and  discussions, 
which  always  occur  amongst  merchants. 

This  appeared  very  good  to  the  King,  and  he  was  much 
pleased,  and  immediately  sent  for  the  principal  merchants, 
natives,  and  foreigners  :  and,  with  his  ministers  present,  the 
King  began  the  conversation  by  saying,  that  as  he  had 
established  in  his  heart  to  bo  for  ever  a  brother  in  sincere 


34G  SETTLEMENT    OF    WEIGHTS,    MEASURES 

affection  for  the  King  of  Portugal,  so  also  he  wished  to  settle 
/the  affairs  of  his  trade  in  buying  and  selling,  that  they 
I  should  be  so  satisfactory,  and  should  last  for  ever  without 
1  ever  changing  except  for  good,  and  each  time  for  the  better, 
I  so  that  his  kingdom  should  increase  in  honour  and  profit ; 

therefore  he  had  sent  to  summon  them  all,  in  order  to  make 

i 

I  with  them  this  settlement,  so  that  all  should  be  satisfied. 
All  praised  him  much  for  this,  which  he  did  like  a  pious 
King  and  a  good  friend  of  his  people  ;  and  then  and  there, 
[  without  discussions  nor  obstinacy,  amongst  them  all  they 
made  a  settlement  of  the  weights,  measures,  and  prices  of 
j  all  the  things  which  the  factor  could  buy  or  sell,  and  it  was 
1  noted  down  fully,  and  written  by  the  King's  clerks,  who 
/were  six  in  number  ;  and  it  was  settled  that  outside  of  the 
factory  each  one  might  buy  and  sell  as  he  chose  according 
to  his  pleasure.  With  this  all  were  very  well  satisfied.  All 
this  was  written  down  by  the  scribes  of  the  King,  and  it  was 
signed  by  the  King  and  the  Prince,  who  was  present,  and 
by  the  ministers  and  all  the  merchants ;  and  the  King 
ordered  them  all  to  swear  to  it,  because  he  also,  with  the 
Prince,  swore  that  it  should  last  for  ever.  Then  the  captain- 
major  signed  it  below,  with  the  factors,  clei^ks,  and  twenty 
men,  whom  the  captain-major  ordered  to  sign,  and  he  swore 
to  it  all  by  the  head  and  life  of  the  King  of  Portugal. 
When  all  this  was  ended,  the  captain- major  presented  to  the 
King  a  crown  of  gold  of  much  value,  placed  in  a  hand-basin 
of  silver,  chased  and  gilt,  and  an  ewer  to  match ;  and  to 
the  Prince  he  gave  an  enamelled  collar,  ornamented  with 
jewels  in  the  form  of  a  chain,  which  was  worth  two  hundred 
crusados,  and  a  round  tent,  well  worked  with  double  linings 
within  and  without,  lined  with  coloured  satins,  a  very  pretty 
thing,  which  the  captain-major  ordered  to  be  set  up  in  the 
King's  palace,  so  that  he  should  see  it  when  he  went  back, 
and  he  had  sent  word  that  the  tent  was  for  the  Prince,  who 
used  to  go  to  the  camp.     As  it  was  the  custom,  when  the 


AND    riUCES    AT    COCITIM.  317 

prices  of  purchases  and  sales  were  settled,  for  betel  to  be 
given  to  tlio  mercliants,  as  the  captain-major  had  not  got 
any,  instead  of  betel,  he  ordered  a  thousand  crusados  to  be 
given  in  small  gold  coin  to  all  those  who  had  been  present, 
and  two  hundred  scarlet  cloth  barret-caps,  and  two  hundred 
knives  with  sheaths.  And  the  factor  took  in  his  hands  a  large 
bottle  of  Flanders  with  orange-flower  water,  very  sweet- 
smelling,  which  he  sprinkled  over  the  merchants,  and  with  it 
he  wetted  them  all,  at  which  the  King  was  much  pleased  ; 
and  there  was  merriment  and  satisfaction  for  all  of  them  ; 
after  which  the  King  departed  with  the  Prince,  and  the  cap- 
tain-major remained  in  the  factory,  where  he  stayed  the 
whole  day,  making  such  arrangements  as  were  necessary, 
and  he  appointed  for  the  factor  and  his  officials  their  sala- 
ries, and  made  Duarte  Fernandes,  surnamed  Tassalho,^  the 
almoxarife  of  the  warehouse  for  the  stores  for  the  caravels 
which  were  to  pass  the  winter  there.  For  everything  he 
gave  full  instructions  for  whatever  was  required ;  and  he 
appointed  ten  men  for  the  service  of  the  factor,  to  assist 
him,  and  ten  others  for  the  almoxarife,  and  three  for  each 
clerk,  and  others,  as  many  as  wished  to  stay  to  remain  in 
service,  all  which  having  been  ordained  with  much  nicety, 
the  captain-major  betook  himself  in  the  morning  to  the 
ships.  The  captains  brought  their  servants  on  shore  to 
make  their  sales  and  purchases,  but  no  one  sold  nor  bought 
the  King\s  merchandise,  for  this  was  strictly  prohibited. 

'  Or,  nicknamed,  Slash. 


348  MESSAGE    TO    GAMA 


CHAPTER  XI. 

How,  whilst  the  ships  were  loading  at  Cochym,  the  Queen  of  Coulam 
sent  a  message  to  the  captain-major  to  establish  trade  in  Coulam, 
such  as  he  had  in  Cochym,  and  what  he  replied  concerning  that. 

"Whilst  the  work  of  taking  in  cargo  was  going  on,  news 
readied  Coulam  of  tlie  liberalities  of  the  captain-major  on 
account  of  the  good  peace  and  friendship  which  was  estab- 
lished with  the  King  of  Cochym,  with  so  considerable  a 
trade  of  such  profit  to  the  King  and  his  people.  The 
Queen  of  Coulam — for  by  their  laws  women  govern  the 
kingdom,  and  they  are  called  Queens,  and  their  husbands 
not,^  of  which  I  will  give  an  account  further  on  in  its  place 
— was  desirous  of  obtaining  for  her  kingdom  the  same  ad- 
vantage as  Cochym  had  got ;  and  she  held  a  council  with 
her  ministers  and  principal  merchants,  saying  to  them  that 
she  desired  for  her  kingdom  the  same  great  profit  that  the 
King  of  Cochym  had  through  the  peace  and  friendship 
which  he  had  with  the  Portuguese,  because  she  had  in  her 
kingdom  pepper  enough  to  load  twenty  ships  each  year, 
from  which  they  would  derive  great  profit,  according  to  the 
mode  of  trade  in  Cochym,  if  our  people  had  a  factory  estab- 
lished in  Coulam,  and  they  would  enjoy  the  great  profit 
which  the  merchants  of  Cochym  had,  who  came  to  Coulam 
to  buy,  in  order  to  carry  it  away  and  sell  it  in  Cochym. 
This  was  indeed  so,  for  the  greater  quantity  of  pepper  which 
went  to  Cochym  the  merchants  bought  it  in  this  kingdom 
of  Coulam,  and  carried  it  in  boats  to  Cochym,  by  rivers 
which  flow  inside  the  country.  The  Queen  having  come  to 
a  conclusion  upon  this  matter  with  her  people,  sent  her  mes- 
sage with  respect  to  it  to  the  captain-major,  which  she  sent 
with  her  letter  in  a  boat  by  sea  to  the  ship  in  which  the 
'  i.  e.,  their  husbands  are  not  kings. 


FROM    THE    QUEEN    OF    COULAM.  -340 

captain-major  was.  The  captain-major  showed  much  honour 
to  the  messenger,  and  was  much  pleased  with  the  substance 
of  his  message,  which  was  to  the  greater  profit  of  the  King, 
for  it  prayed  him  to  send  there  the  two  largest  ships  which 
he  had,  and  they  should  be  laden  with  pepper;  and  she 
bound  herself  to  load  them  with  that  every  year,  according 
to  the  same  agreement  as  that  made  in  Cochym  ;  and  if  in 
future  times  the  rates  at  Cochym  were  raised  or  lowered,  she 
would  always  follow  the  order  which  might  exist  at  Cochym, 
in  good  friendship  and  affairs  of  trade.  Upon  this  the 
captain-major  held  a  council  with  his  captains,  and  it  ap- 
peared good  to  all  of  them,  because  the  having  many  ven- 
dors of  pepper  was  a  great  benefit  in  every  respect,  especially 
if  there  should  be  any  impediment  in  Cochym  by  which 
pepper  should  become  scarce.  Having  taken  counsel,  the 
the  captain-major  replied  by  letter  to  the  Queen,  saying 
that  he  was  the  vassal  of  so  truthful  a  King,  that  for  a  single 
lie  or  fault  which  he  might  commit  against  good  faith,  he 
would  order  his  head  to  be  cut  off;  therefore  he  could  not 
answer  anything  with  certainty,  nor  accept  her  friendship, 
nor  the  trade  which  she  offered,  and  for  which  he  thanked  her 
much,  without  the  King  first  commanded  him  to  do  so,  be- 
cause if  he  did  such  a  thing  now,  he  would  be  breaking  the 
faith  and  word  which  he  had  given  to  the  King  of  Cochym, 
to  whom  he  had  promised  not  to  do  anything  in  that 
country  in  the  matter  of  trade  without  his  leave  and  good 
pleasure,  which  agreement  he  must  keep  and  fulfil ;  for  the 
King  of  Cochym  was  so  good  and  true  in  fulfilling  and  keep- 
ing his  word  and  faith,  on  which  account  he  had  become  a 
brother  in  affection  of  the  King  his  sovereign.  If  she  would 
therefore  pardon  him,  because  without  the  goodwill  of  the 
King  of  Cochym  he  could  not  enter  upon  this  matter ;  but 
if  she  were  pleased  to  send  her  message  to  the  King  of 
Cochym,  and  if  the  King  of  Cochym  were  pleased,  then  he 
would  do  all  that  was  proper  with  respect  to  what  she  asked. 


350  NEGOTIATIONS    OF    GAMA 

and  for  his  part  notliing  would  be  wanting.  This  answer 
having  been  received  by  the  Queen  and  her  ministers,  they 
esteemed  this  as  very  great  goodness,  since  it  was  the  ob- 
servance of  good  faith  ;  and  on  that  account  they  then  the 
more  desired  our  friendship,  seeing  that  our  people  observed 
it  so  perfectly  with  respect  to  the  King  of  Cochyra.  And  as 
the  ministers  and  merchants  of  Coulam  were  relations  and 
great  friends  of  those  of  Cochym,  and  the  Queen  also  was 
very  friendly  with  the  King  of  Cochym,  with  this  intimacy, 
having  held  her  council,  she  sent  him  her  message  upon  this 
business,  saying  that  she  had  sent  to  the  captain-major  to 
ask  for  his  friendship,  and  that  he  should  establish  trade  in 
her  port,  and  she  would  give  him  pepper  just  as  he  got  it 
in  Cochym  ;  and  that  he  had  answered  that  he  would  not  do 
it  without  the  King  of  Cochym's  leave  and  pleasure,  because 
he  was  bound  and  obliged  in  that  respect ;  and  as  she  knew 
by  that  the  Portuguese  thus  observed  good  faith,  she  was  all 
the  more  desirous  of  having  friendship  with  the  King  of 
Portugal,  and  of  establishing  his  trade  in  her  country  for  the 
improvement  of  her  kingdom.  And  as  she  could  not  obtain 
what  she  so  much  desired  except  with  his  good  pleasure, 
she  much  begged  and  entreated  him  to  be  pleased  that  the 
captain-major  should  establish  trade  and  friendship  with 
her  for  ever,  for  her  to  give  him  pepper,  and  that  she  would 
in  nowise  depart  from  the  agreement  for  trade  which  he  had 
established  for  purchases  and  sales ;  and  this  was  of  great 
importance  to  her  for  the  security  of  her  ships  and  mer- 
chants wherever  they  went,  for  if  he  gave  his  consent  the 
captain-major  would  immediately  do  everything,  for  he  did 
not  excuse  himself  on  any  other  grounds.  The  King  of 
Cochym,  on  hearing  this  message  of  the  Queen  of  Coulam, 
was  much  grieved,  because  he  did  not  wish  to  see  the  profit 
and  honour  of  his  kingdom  go  to  another,  and  because  by 
this  he  would  receive  some  loss  ;  for  this  pepper  which  came 
from  Coulam  by  the  rivers  paid  duties  to  him  at  some  places 


WITH    COCIIIM    AND    CcL'LAM.  351 

on  tlic  rivers,  and  if  tin's  pepper  was  put  on  board  ship  at 
Coulatn,  it  would  not  conu;  ])y  tlie  rivers,  and  ho  woukl  lose 
those  duties.  As  the  King-  of  Cochym  was  of  ojjinion  that 
the  captain-major  would  not  accept,  on  account  of  the  labour 
and  risk  of  sei^arating  ships,  and  merchandise,  and  work- 
men, for  the  purpose  of  sending  to  another  place  to  take  in 
cargo,  and  that  the  answer  which  he  had  given  to  the  Queen 
was  only  to  excuse  himself,  since  if  it  had  been  his  desire 
also,  he  would  have  spoken  about  it  himself,  and  for  other 
reasons  which  the  King  took  into  his  head,  and  from  some 
of  his  people  with  whom  he  conversed  about  it,  the  King 
spoke  of  it  to  the  factor  ;  and  the  factor  had  already  been 
advised  by  the  captain-major  of  what  answer  he  was  to  give 
the  King  if  he  spoke  to  him  about  this.  Therefore  he 
answered  the  King  in  such  a  mann(;r  that  he  confirmed 
the  King  in  the  conclusions  which  he  himself  had  come  to, 
which  was  that  the  captain-major  would  not  do  it,  even 
though  he  asked  him  to  do  so.  Trusting  to  this,  he  sent 
one  of  his  ministers  to  speak  to  the  captain-major,  with 
whom  he  sent  the  Queen's  messenger,  so  that  he  might  see 
that  he  sent  to  ask  this  of  the  captain-major;  and  if  he 
should  not  choose  to  do  it,  and  should  excuse  himself,  the 
Queen  might  know  that  it  was  not  through  him  that  her 
desire  failed  of  being  carried  out. 

The  captain-major  had  been  already  informed  by  the 
factor  of  his  conversation  with  the  King,  and  on  hearing  the 
message  of  the  minister  on  behalf  of  the  King,  by  which 
he  told  him  that  the  Queen  of  Coulam  had  sent  him  a  mes- 
sage with  respect  to  her  desire  to  establish  friendship  and 
trade,  so  that  he  should  go  there  and  take  in  pepper,  and 
that  he  informed  him  of  it,  because  he  was  a  great  friend  of 
the  Queen  and  her  relation,  and  he  could  do  nothing  else 
but  entreat  him  to  do  it  from  his  affection  for  her,  and  be- 
cause he  would  be  happy  to  do  her  any  pleasure.  The 
captain-major  did  honour  to  the  minister  and  to  the  Queen's 


352  NEGOTIATIONS    WITH    COULAM. 

messenger,  and  gave  his  answer  for  the  King,  saying,  that  in 
that  port  in  which  he  was,  he  was  the  King's  vassal,  to  obey 
him  as  mnch  as  the  King  his  sovereign,  and  therefore  he  would 
obey  him  in  everything  whatever  was  his  will  and  pleasure  ; 
and  since  the  Queen  was  thus  his  relation  and  friend,  he  was 
happy  to  do  all  that  she  wished,  because  he  had  already  sent 
her  a  message  with  respect  to  this,  and  he  had  done  nothing, 
because  he  did  not  know  whether  it  would  be  pleasing  to 
the  King  of  Cochym  ;  but  that  now  that  he  saw  what  his 
will  was  he  would  obey  it  in  everything,  and  settle  every- 
thing which  the  Queen  asked  for  in  the  name  of  the  King 
his  sovereign,  and  he  held  the  peace  as  given  and  confirmed 
for  ever,  with  the  trade  as  she  had  asked  for  it,  which  was 
with  the  same  agreement  as  that  of  Cochym.  Of  this  he  at 
once  gave  his  letter  signed,  with  a  safe-conduct  for  the 
ships  and  merchants  of  Coulam  and  its  ports,  all  after  the 
manner  of  the  settlement  with  Cochym,  and  that  each  time 
of  loading  cargo  they  would  send  there  two  ships  whenever 
there  was  a  scarcity  of  pepper  in  Cochym  ;  and  that  he  did 
this  because  the  Queen  was  a  relation  and  friend  of  the 
King  of  Cochym,  and  he  had  his  instructions  to  establish 
good  peace  and  trade  with  all  the  relations  and  friends  of 
the  King  of  Cochym,  and  especially  with  his  neighbours ; 
and  as  all  these  qualities  were  to  be  found  in  the  Queen,  for 
that  he  did  it.  This  letter  he  put  into  the  hands  of  the 
minister  to  take  it  and  deliver  it  into  the  King's  hands  for 
him  to  send  to  the  Queen.  With  that  he  took  leave  of 
them,  sending  to  the  King  many  thanks  for  this  affair,  since 
he  well  saw  that  he  did  everything  like  a  true  brother  of  the 
King  his  sovereign,  in  order  to  procure  better  preparation 
for  loading  the  ships ;  for  there  would  always  come  many 
ships,  but  none  would  go  to  Coulam  to  take  in  cargo,  except 
those  which  he  should  send  there  ;  and  there  would  not 
be  there  any  settled  factory,  only  the  ships  which  went 
there  would  carry  the  merchandise  to  pay  for  their  cargoes, 


NEGOTIATIONS    WITH    COULAM.  353 

and  would  return  to  Cochym  to  complete  their  despatch. 
The  King  seeing  all  this,  for  the  captain-major  had  con- 
cluded everything,  and  not  being  able  to  turn  back  from  his 
word,  dissembled  the  grief  which  he  felt  at  it,  and  repented 
much  having  sent  to  speak  to  the  captain-major,  instead  of 
havinsr  made  his  excuses  himself.  But  as  he  could  do 
nothing  else,  he  feigned  that  he  was  pleased,  and  dismissed 
the  Queen^s  messenger.  When  he  reached  Coulam,  the 
Queen  experienced  great  satisfaction,  and  at  once  sent  her 
document  to  the  captain-major,  signed  by  herself  and  her 
ministers  in  the  form  in  which  that  of  the  captain-major 
was  couched.  This  was  given  to  the  captain-major,  with 
the  request  that  he  would  at  once  send  two  ships,  as  there 
was  much  pepper  collected  of  the  last  year's,  and  there 
would  not  be  more  delay  than  what  was  required  for  putting 
it  on  board.  The  captain-major  told  the  messenger  to  go 
and  ask  the  King  of  Cochym's  leave,  for  so  it  had  been 
settled  that  he  would  send  them  if  the  King  pleased  :  this 
he  went  and  begged  hard  of  the  King.  He,  in  order  that 
he  might  not  be  found  wanting  to  his  word,  sent  to  tell  the 
captain-major  to  send  what  ships  he  pleased.  Then  the 
captain-major  sent  Diogo  Fernandes  Peteira  and  Francisco 
Marecos  who  had  not  yet  got  cargo,^  and  they  set  sail  im- 
mediately. There  went  on  board  with  them  the  Queen's 
minister,  who  took  the  ships  to  a  river  called  Calle  Coulam, 
which  was  five  leagues  from  the  port ;  and  Joan  de  Sa 
Pereira  went  as  factor  to  take  in  the  cargo,  with  a  clerk  and 
ten  men  in  his  service,  with  a  letter  and  a  present  for  the 
Queen  of  a  handsome  mirror,  and  corals,  and  a  large  bottle 
of  orange-flower  water,  and  for  her  people  thirty  scarlet 
barret-caps,  and  thirty  dozen  of  knives  with  sheaths.  This 
present  was  conveyed  to  the  Queen  by  the  factor,  who  was 
gaily  dressed  and  accompanied  by  his  men,  with  the  minister. 

>  Gama  shewed  much  iact  and  discretion  in  this  business,  obtaining 
what  he  most  desired  by  avoiding  all  appearance  of  eagerness  for  it. 


''354  ENVOYS    FROM    MALARAK    CHRISTIANS. 

The  Queen  did  him  much  honour,  and  sent  a  present  to  the 
captain-major  of  several  silk  stuffs  of  various  colours,  which 
were  made  in  the  country,  and  very  fine  white  stuffs  of  very 
great  width,  for  they  were  a  fathom  and  a  half  broad.  The 
factor  returned  to  the  ships,  where  much  expedition  was 
used  with  many  boats,  and  they  loaded  the  ships  at  both 
sides  ;  and  both  of  them  were  filled  up  in  ten  days  with  as 
much  pepper  as  they  could  take,  and  they  returned  to 
Cochym,  and  some  pepper  was  transhipped  from  them  into 
the  other  ships,  to  leave  room  for  the  drugs. ^ 


CHAPTER  XII. 

How,  whilst  the  ships  were  loading,  there  came  to  the  King  of  Cochym 
certain  news  of  the  fleet  of  Calecut,  which  was  already  prepared, 
and  how  the  King  of  Calecut  sent  a  Brahman  with  a  false  message 
to  the  captain-major,  who  executed  him. 

Whilst  the  captain-major  was  thus  employed  in  taking  in 
the  ship's  cargoes,  the  King  of  Cochym  sent  to  call  him,  and 
he  went  immediately.     The  King,  in  private  with  the  cap- 

>  Osorio,  Barros,  and  San  Roman  do  not  mention  this  embassage 
from  the  Queen  of  Coulam,  but  they  describe  a  mission  sent  by  the 
Christians  of  St.  Thomas  from  Cranganor,  four  leagues  from  Cochym, 
whose  number  might  be  more  than  thirty  thousand  souls.  These  envoys 
came  to  offer  themselves  as  subjects  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  and  gave 
to  Gama,  in  sign  of  obedience,  a  red  staff  like  a  sceptre  with  silver  ends, 
and  at  one  end  three  little  silver  bells;  they  asked  to  be  visited  and  pro- 
tected from  the  infidel  people  who  vexed  them.  The  admiral,  however, 
only  gave  them  good  words,  and  a  promise  to  recommend  them  to  the 
care  of  one  of  his  captains,  who  would  remain,  as  he  had  no  time,  and 
was  returning  to  Portugal,  and  that  for  his  part  he  would  represent 
their  case  to  the  King,  so  that  with  the  first  fleet  lie  should  be  able  to 
take  measures  for  their  consolation. 

If  these  envoys  had  come  to  offer  trade  in  spices  instead  of  only  to 
ask  for  protection  for  their  religion  their  mission  would  have  been  more 
successful. 


WARLIKE    NEWS    FROM    CALECUT.  355 

tain-major,  told  him  that  he  had  information  from  some  of 
his  men,  whom  he  kept  as  spies  in  Calecut,  who  told  him 
that  the  fleet  of  Calecut  was  now  entirely  ready,  that  it  con- 
sisted of  several  large  ships,  and  sambuks,  and  rowing- 
barges,  with  much  artillery  and  fighting-men,  and  two  cap- 
tain-majors— to  wit,  Coja  Kasim,  and  the  other,  Cojambar,  a 
Moorish  eunuch,  who  had  now  arrived  from  Mekkah,  and 
had  come  from  the  Maldive  Islands  in  a  small  boat,  and  had 
left  there  two  large  ships  which  he  had  brought,  laden  with 
great  wealth,  and  which  he  did  not  choose  to  risk,  and  he 
had  come  to  learn  if  there  were  Portuguese  in  India — he, 
with  great  pride,  had  offered  himself  to  the  King  to  take  our 
fleet.  All  this  was  very  true,  and  therefore  the  King  of  \ 
Cochym  begged  the  captain-major,  and  enjoined  him  by  the 
life  of  the  King  of  Portugal  his  brother,  not  to  stay  and 
fight  with  the  fleet  of  Calecut,  but  to  depart  at  once  with 
the  cargo  which  he  had  got,  for  very  little  was  wanting,  and 
it  was  not  well  to  fight  with  ships  so  crammed,  and  he  ought 
to  fly  from  a  possible  disaster,  and  not  take  any  other  deci- 
sion than  to  go  out  at  once  into  the  open  sea,  without 
returning  to  Cananor,  and  that  he  would  give  him  in 
Cochym  all  that  he  required  for  the  voyage  for  all  the  ships. 
To  this  the  captain-major  replied  with  great  thanks,  and 
said  :  "  Sire,  this  fleet  was  fitted  out  for  Pedralvarez  Cabral, 
to  come  in  to  take  vengeance  for  what  Calecut  had  done, 
and  he  was  a  very  valiant  knight  for  any  great  deed  ;  but  I, 
Sire,  who  nourish  vexation  in  my  heart  for  the  affront  done 
me  by  the  King  of  Calecut,  my  passion  is  doubled  by  what 
he  did  to  Pedralvarez,  on  which  account  I  had  a  strong 
desire  to  come  and  take  this  vengeance,  and  I  strove  much 
with  myself  not  to  stand  in  the  way  of  Pedralvarez,  but  so 
great  was  the  struggle  which  I  felt  in  my  heart  that  I  could 
not  endure  it,  and  when  the  fleet  was  about  to  sail  I  put 
myself  into  it,  while  the  King  gave  great  satisfaction  for 
that  to  Pedralvarez.     And  because  I  came  with  that  design, 


356  PREPARATIONS    OF    THE    PORTUGUESE 

I  brought  these  caravels  which  are  here^  and  which  are  so 
good  at  fighting,  that  they  are  sufficient  for  whatever  fleet 
Calecut  may  possess ;  and  know  for  certain  that  the  King 
my  sovereign,  for  his  honour^s  sake,  would  not  value  these 
ships  if  they  were  laden  with  gold ;  how  much  less,  then, 
when  laden  with  drugs  ;  for  the  King  was  much  vexed  at 
the  Moors  of  Calecut  having  said  that  Pedralvarez  did  not 
idare  to  fight  with  his  fleet.  Therefore,  Sire,  I  hope  in  God 
that  if  I  fall  in  with  this  fleet,  I  shall  take  upon  it  a  part  of 
the  vengeance  which  my  heart  longs  for ;  and  for  nothing  in 
the  world  would  I  desist  from  returning  to  Cananor,  to  take 
the  ginger  which  is  purchased  there ;  for  if  I  did  not  go 
thither,  and  were  thus  wanting  to  the  King  of  Cananor,  I 
should  be  committing  so  great  an  error  that  the  reputation 
borne  by  the  Portuguese  would  be  lost  for  ever  ;  and  I  would 
sooner  die  a  hundred  deaths  than  that  anything  should  be 
wanting  through  me,  to  that  which  befits  the  state  of  the 
King  my  sovereign/'  The  King,  on  seeing  such  a  deter- 
mined will  on  the  part  of  the  captain-major,  said  to  him  : 
"  I  have  told  you  my  opinion;  do  you  now  comply  with  your 
obligation."     Upon  which  the  King  dismissed  him. 

The  captain-major  ordered  the  caravels  and  ships  to  go 
out  of  the  river,  and  he  went  on  board  the  ship  of  Pero 
Raphael ;  and  because  his  caravel  ran  very  fast  under  sail, 
he  told  him  to  go  to  Cananor,  standing  well  out  to  sea,  and 
to  call  Vicente  Sodre,  who  was  to  come  to  Cochym,  also 
standing  out  to  sea,  and  they  were  to  pass  Calecut  by  night, 
and  not  let  themselves  be  seen.  The  caravel  had  such  a  wind 
that  it  went  in  six  days,  and  came  back  with  Vicente  Sodr^. 
The  captain-major  spoke  to  all  the  captains  of  what  they  had 
to  do  if  they  fought,  and  all  were  very  well  prepared,  for 
they  had  a  great  abundance  of  munitions,  and  they  kept  a 
good  look-out  at  sea.  But  the  King  of  Cochym,  without  the 
captain-major's  knowledge,  sent  Indian  bouts  along  the 
coast,  which  were  to  come  with  the  news  when  they  saw  the 
fleet  of  Calecut. 


AND  CALECUT  FLEETS.  357 

The  King  of  Calecut  made  a  large  expenditure  for  the 
payment  of  the  crews  of  this  fleotj  and  he  designed  that  as 
soon  as  it  had  routed  our  fleet,  it  should  go  and  make  war 
on  Cochym,  and  take  from  the  Portuguese  the  merchandise 
that  remained  there  ;  and  as  he  was  continually  talking  with 
the  captains  of  what  they  were  ordaining  for  the  battle,  it 
was  settled  that  they  should  send  a  very  confidential^  spy,_ 
who  should  go  to  Cochym  to  see  the  fleet  and  ships,  how 
they  were  laden,  and  the  crews  they  had,  and  this  seemed 
good  to  all  of  them.  Then  the  King  ordained  that  a  Brah- 
man of  his,  in  whom  he  trusted  much,  should  go  to  spy  this  ; 
and  he  instructed  him,  and  recommended  him  much  to  see 
eveiything,  and  he  sent  him  under  the  pretext  of  a  letter 
which  he  gave  him  for  the  captain-major,  in  which  he  said  to 
him,  that  with  the  great  passion  which  he  had  felt  at  the 
injury  which  the  captain-major  had  done  him,  with  respect 
to  the  men  of  the  Malabar  vessels  laden  with  rice,  he  had 
collected  and  constructed  a  large  fleet,  with  such  numerous 
and  powerful  crews,  that  he  had  twenty  vessels  for  each  one 
of  the  Portuguese,  and  such  captains  and  armed  men,  all 
with  so  much  eagerness  to  die  for  taking  vengeance,  that  he 
held  it  to  be  doubtless  that  he  should  obtain  the  victory, 
which  would  not  be,  however,  without  sinking  his  ships  or 
burning  them,  so  that  not  one  man  would  escape.  But  since 
God  had  put  into  his  heart  another  intention,  and  he  remem- 
bered that  the  evil  which  had  been  done  to  him,  he  had  well 
deserved  it  on  account  of  that  which  he  had  done,  [under 
bad  advice,  and  especially  his  heart  having  been  much  pro- 
voked, yet  everything  well  considered,  and  weighing  one 
thing  with  another,^]  he  had  settled  in  his  heart  not  to  fall 

'  These  words  between  the  brackets  the  Lisbon  editor  has  left  out 
and  put  in  a  note,  saying  he  had  not  hesitated  to  suppress  them  though 
they  were  in  the  MS.  of  the  Archives.  They  are  also  in  the  Duke  of 
Gor's  MS.  The  editor  of  the  Lisbon  edition  gives  no  reason  for  this 
suppression,  which  does  not  seem  to  be  required  by  the  sense. 


358  HOW   COJEBEQDY    SAVED 

again  into  such  errors ;  and  he  wished,  if  the  captain-major 
chose,  that  there  should  be  no  more  wars  nor  disputes,  and 
the  captain-major  might  remain,  and  welcome,  in  Cananor 
and  Cochym,  and  only  let  him  give  him  (the  King  of  Cale- 
cut)  security  for  his  navigation  ;  and  for  the  confirmation  of 
what  he  said,  he  might  send  whom  he  pleased  to  come  and 
see  if  he  spoke  the  truth  of  the  fleet  which  he  had  got,  and 
to  see  with  his  own  eyes ;  and  that  after  that  he  would  undo 
everything  and  order  his  ships  to  be  dismasted  ;  and  these 
things  being  so,  that  the  captain-major  would  be  pleased 
that  his  friendship  should  be  made,  as  he  requested. 

After  Cojebequi,  a  Moor  of  Calecut,  a  native  of  the  coun- 
try, of  whom  I  have  already  said  much  before  in  the  history 
of  Pedralvarez  Cabral,  had  departed,  the  King,  satisfied  with 
the  robbery,^  recollected  the  two  young  children  of  the  factor. 
Aires  Correa,  because  they  frequently  went  with  their  father 
to  the  palace  of  the  King,  who  took  much  pleasure  in  seeing 
them,  for  they  were  very  pretty,  and  at  times  he  used  to 
give  them  trinkets.  On  this  account,  remembering  them, 
he  inquired  if  they  had  been  killed  at  the  factory,  or  if  any 
one  had  taken  them  captive,  and  no  one  gave  him  news  of 
them ;  but  they  told  him  that  Cojebequi  was  a  great  friend 
of  the  factor,  and  that  most  of  his  time  he  was  with  the 
factor,  by  day  and  by  night,  and  that  he  might  be  able  to 
give  some  account  of  it.  Therefore  the  King  rejoiced  at 
this  which  they  told  him,  because  Cojebequi  was  one  of  the 
richest  Moors  of  Calecut,  with  a  very  large  house,  and  many 
palm-groves,  and  ships,  and  trade,  which  the  King  desired 
to  plunder,  and  to  take  his  property,  on  account  of  the 
hatred  which  he  bore  him,  from  knowing  that  he  was  a 
friend  of  the  Portuguese.  For  this  reason  the  King  sent  to 
call  him,  and  told  him  to  bring  to  him  at  once  the  sons  of 
the  factor,  whom  he  had  taken  away  from  the  factory.  This 
the  Moor  denied  strongly,  saying  that  if  such  a  thing  were 
1  Of  the  Portuguese  factory  in  Ciilecut. 


TDK    CUILDJiKN    OF    AIRES    CORKEA.  o59 

discovered  lie  iniglit  order  liis  head  to  be  cut  otf;  upon 
wliieli  the  King  protiered  great  threats,  and  swore  that  if  ho 
did  not  give  them  up  he  would  order  his  houses  to  bo 
burned,  and  he  himself  inside  of  them  with  his  wives  and 
children.  But  the  Moor,  by  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord, 
always  denied  strenuously,  without  fear  of  the  death  which 
he  was  certain  of,  if  the  children  were  discovered,  neither  / 
did  he  esteem  any  more  many  favours  which  the  King  pro-  / 
mised  him  if  he  would  deliver  them  up.  The  Moor  still 
denied,  and  said  tliat  when  the  occurrence  of  the  factory 
took  place,  his  wife  was  near  dying  in  childbirth,  and  could 
not  bring  forth,  and  that  already  when  he  reached  the 
factory  they  were  killing  the  Portuguese,  and  that  on  the 
shoro-he^-had  seen  one  of  the  children  carried  on  the  back  of 
a  black  man,  who  had  entered  into  the  crowd,  so  that  he  did  I 
~nbt  see  him  any  more,  and  he  did  not  know  whether  the  I 
Negro  was  a  slave  or  a  free  man.  But  the  King  being  thus  ' 
indisposed  against  the  Moor,  kept  him  imprisoned  for  some 
time,  and  took  from  him  all  he  had,  saying,  that  when  he 
knew  the  truth  about  the  children,  and  that  the  Moor  was 
not  in  fault,  then  he  would  restore  to  him  his  property. 
This  the  Moor  did  not  care  about  losing,  with  the  hojDC  that 
when  our  people  made  war  on  Calecut,  and  indemnified 
themselves  for  the  robbery  which  the  King  had  committed, 
he  also  would  again  recover  his  property  when  peace  was 
concluded  ;  and  with  this  hope  he  continued  suffering  much 
poverty,  and  his  friends  maintained  him.  His  brother,  who 
was  scandalised  at  the  King,  who  killed  the  Portuguese 
whilst  he  was  a  hostage  on  board  Pedralvarez'  ship^  went 
before  the  King  in  a  very  angiy  mood,  and  told  him  that 
before  he  died  he  would  have  to  receive  payment  for  the  evil 
which  he  had  done,  for  he  did  nothing  but  rob  other  people 
of  their  property  ;  and  it  was  well  known,  that  even  though 
a  hundred  children  were  delivered  up  to  him,  he  would  not 
give  up  what  he  had  taken  from  his  brother. 


360  RECOVERY  OF  THREE  PORTUGUESE 

The  Moor  Cojebequi^  seeing  how  much  it  was  necessary 
for  his  life,  kept  the  Portuguese,  who  were  three  whom  he 
had  saved,  as  I  have  already  related.^  He  stripped  them, 
and  dressed  them  as  Moors,  with  their  heads  and  chins 
shaved,  and  put  them  away  privately  in  other  houses 
belonging  to  his  labourers,  who  lived  in  the  fields  or  woods, 
where  on  account  of  their  rites  all  people  fly  from  them  ;  so 
that  they  were  never  seen,  nor  did  the  poleas  (low  people) 
know  who  they  were,  and  they  were  delighted  to  have  them 
with  them,  because  the  Moor  sent  them  food,  with  which 
they  stuffed  themselves.  The  Moor  told  them  to  anoint 
themselves  with  oils  which  he  sent  them,  and  to  put  them- 
selves constantly  in  the  sun,  which  they  did,  and  in  a  short 
. /jj.  time  they  became  as  dark  as  the  people  of  the  country.  The 
children  he  also  dressed  like  his  own  children,  little  Moors, 
and  he  always  kept  them  amongst  his'  women ;  and  he 
managed  matters  so  well  that  they  were  never  perceived, 
and  he  saved  them,  and  delivered  them  up  into  the  hands  of 
our  people,  as  will  be  related  further  on  in  its  place.^ 

(  ^  Cojebequi  had  detained  the  childi-en  at  his  own  house,  where  they 
•were  visiting,  being  apprehensive  of  an  outbreak  ;  and  went  at  night  to 
speak  to  the  factor,  but  could  not  reach  the  factory  as  it  was  ah-eady 
surrounded :  the  three  Port^uguese  saved  by  Cojebequi  were  found  by 
him  concealed  under  some  straw  in  an  outhouse,  and  he  brought  them 
away  disguised  as  Moors,  with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  friends. 

2  The  following  is  the  sequel  of  the  story  of, the  children  of  Aires_ 
Correa,  and  of  the  three  Portuguese.  In  1503,  when  Duarte  Pacheco 
was  Captain  of  the  sea,  Cojebequi,  who  now  lived  ten  leagues  from 
Calecut,  wrote  to  him  secretly  of  the  designs  of  the  Zamorim, against 
Cochym  and  against  the  factor  Alvaro  Kafael  in  Calecut,  and  advised 
him  to  send  and  save  him  and  the  people  with  him.  Duarte  Pacheco 
then  sent  Pero  Rafael  secretly  to  bring  away  his  brother  the  factor :  he 
went  with  a  caravel  and  two  Indian  boats  which  he  bought,  and 
Cananor  fishermen,  and  keeping  well  out  to  sea  out  of  siglit  came 
before  Calecut,  and  told  the  hsherni(,'ii  he  had  come  to  cany  off  the 
factor,  and  gave  tliem  money :  by  their  advice  he  remained  out  at  sea 
four  days,  until  the  weather  grew  thick  and  dark  with  rain,  when  he 
stood  in  at  night  and  anchored  before  Calecut.  The  skiff  was  piepared 
with  two  long  strong  lines,  and  when  the  skiff  anchored  outside  the 


AND    THE    CHILDREN    OF   AIRCS    CORREA.  301 

This  Moor,  witli  the  good  disposition  which  he  had  j 
towards  the  PortuguesOj  always  took  much  care  to  learn  all 
the  things  which  they  were  preparing  in  Calecut  against  our 
people.  And  as  he  was  told  with  great  secrecy  of  the 
Brahman  whom  the  Zamorim  sent  to  spy  the  fleet  at  ; 
Cochym,  he  felt  great  vexation  at  not  being  able  to  give 
notice  of  this  to  the  captain-major  ;  but  with  the  longing 
which  he  had  for  it,  he  risked  his  life  upon  it,  and  in  secret 
sent  for  a  youth,  a  relation  of  his,  and  gave  him  a  verbal 
message,  which  he  was  to  give  to  the  captain-major,  by 
which  he  sent  to  tell  him  that  the  letter  of  the  Zamorim 
carried  poison  for  him  and  the  captains ;  and  he  told  the 

surf  these  lines  were  taken  ashore  with  the  Indian  boats,  which  were 
beached,  and  only  two  sailors  remained  in  each  of  the  Indian  boats,  ^ 
which  were  again  hauled  out  outside  the  surf.  Then  Cojebequi's  negro  ) 
and  the  twelve  fishermen  of  the  Indian  boats  went  to  the  house  of  the 
Portuguese  and  told  them  I'ero  Rafael  was  waiting  for  them :  the 
Portuguese  came  out  with  small  bundles  which  they  gave  to  the  sailors, 
and  sword  in  hand  and  in  single  file  followed  the  negro  of  Cojebequi. 
The  three  Portuguese  whom  Cojebequi  saved,  and  who  went  about  as 
INloors,  were  in  a  house  near  the  shore,  by  which  they  passed,  and  the 
children  of  Aires  Corrca  lived  with  them  as  their  children  with  a  Moor- 
4sh^ '•^oman  provided  by  Cojebequi,  who  passed  for  their  mother :  the 
(^  negro  called  them  and  they  said  they  were  ready,  and  all  went  down  to 
thejueach,  praying  to  the  Lord  to  save  them.  One  of  the  sailors  then 
swam  out  to  call  the  Indian  boats,  and  the  darkness  was  so  great  that 
they  could  not  see  each  other,  and  to  their  great  satisfaction  they  all  em- 
barked, thirteen  Portuguese  and  the  children  and  the  Moorish  woman,  who 
got  into  the  Indian  boats;  and  as  there  was  no  room  for  the  sailors  they 
went  outside,  hanging  on  to  the  boats  by  ropes,  and  the  Lord  saved  them 
from  the  great  waves,  and  all  reached  the  ship's  boat,  weeping  with  joy 
at  having  escaped  from  death  on  shore  and  in  embarking.  So  they  went 
to  the  caravel,  and  Pero  Rafael  told  the  fishermen  that  now  they  might 
go,  and  he  gave  them  the  two  Indian  vessels,  and  they  went  away  highly 
satisfied,  and  the  factor  gave  to  each  of  them  thirty  fanams,  and  they 
went  back  to  the  beach  and  stole  some  boats,  and  the  caravel  carried 
their  masts  and  sails,  and  next  day  at  night  they  went  to  Cananor  that 
the  stolen  boats  might  not  be  seen.  Pero  Rafael  was  received  at 
Cochym  with  salutes  of  artillery,  and  the  King  said  "There  is  nothing  in 
the  world  which  the  Portuguese  will  not  do  if  they  choose  it." 


362  THE    ZAMORIM    SENDS    A    BRAHMAN 

youth  to  go  as  if  he  had  run  away,  and  to  give  money  to 
some  fishermen  to  carry  him  out  of  Calecut  to  Panane,  and 
to  go  out  by  night  from  the  Indian  boat  into  some  fishing 
village,  where  he  was  to  give  money  to  be  carried  further  on 
and  set  down  in  another  fishing  village,  and  to  go  on  always 
by  sea  until  he  reached  the  country  of  Cochyra,  and  then 
take  an  Indian  boat  to  convey  him  to  the  ships,  and  go  on 
board  the  captain-major^s  ship.  The  youth  managed  so  well 
rthat  in  four  days  he  reached  the  captain-major,  and  gave 
him  the  message  ;  and  when  he  heard  that  it  was  from 
Cojebequi,  he  was  much  grieved  when  he  learned  the  inju- 
ries which  the  Zamorim  had  done  to  him  ;  but  as  the 
Brahman  had  not  arrived,  the  captain-major  did  not  under- 
stand what  the  purport  of  the  message  was.  But  at  the  end 
of  three  days  the  Brahman  arrived  in  an  Indian  boat,  and 
went  to  the  captain-major^ s  ship,  and  came  on  board,  and 
made  a  great  salutation  to  the  captain-major,  saying  :  "  Sir, 
as  I  bring  you  a  good  message,  I  did  not  ask  leave  to  come 
on  board.  The  Zamorim  sends  you  this  letter.  Order  it  to 
be  read,  and  give  me  an  answer,  as  I  wish  to  return  imme- 
diately." The  captain-major  asked  him  of  what  race  he  was. 
He  said  that  he  was  a  Nair  and  a  Brahman.  The  captain- 
major  ordered  a  scribe  of  the  King  of  Cochym,  who  was  in  the 
ship,  reckoning  cargo,  to  read  the  letter,  and  he  read  it.  The 
captain-major  then  sent  the  Brahman,  with  the  letter,  to  the 
King  of  Cochym,  in  the  skiff,  and  the  Indian  boat  with  the 
rowers  remained  at  the  ship.  When  the  King  heard  the 
letter,  he  laughed  to  himself  without  answering  anything, 
and  sent  it  back  to  the  ship.  The  captain-major  summoned 
before  him  the  rowers  of  the  Indian  boat,  and  ordered  them 
to  sit  down  on  the  ground,  and  told  them  not  to  get  up,  or 
he  would  order  them  to  be  executed;  and  he  ordered  their 
hands  to  be  tied  together,  and  told  them  to  look  well  at 
everything.  He  then  ordered  the  Brahman  to  bo  taken  by 
the  arms  by  two  Negroes,  that  ho  might  not  fling  himself 


MESSENGER    TO    QAMA.  3G3 

into  tlie  sea,  and  said  to  him  :  "  Brahman,  tell  me  what  the 
Zamoi'im  ordered  you  to  do/^  He  replied  that  the  King  had 
not  told  him  anything,  except  to  deliver  that  letter  and 
return  immediately  with  the  answer.  The  captain-major 
told  him  to  swear  by  the  head  of  the  Zamorim  that  he 
spoke  the  truth,  and  he  would  not  swear.  Then  he  ordered 
him  to  be  tied  to  the  bits,^  and  sent  for  an  ii'on  shovel  full 
of  embers,  and  ordered  them  to  be  put  close  to  his  shins, 
until  large  blisters  rose  upon  them,  whilst  the  interpreter 
shouted  to  him  to  tell  the  truth  about  what  he  came  for,  and 
what  orders  he  had  received,  but  he  would  not  speak.  The 
captain-major  let  him  remain  thus,  and  the  fire  was  brought 
closer  by  degrees,  until  he  could  not  bear  it,  and  he  said  he 
would  speak  the  truth,  and  he  confessed  all  that  the  King 
had  said  to  him,  and  had  ordered  him  to  look  and  see  ;  and 
he  said  that  now  that  he  had  spoken  the  truth,  let  him  order 
him  to  be  killed,  since  he  would  not  return  to  Calecut,  for  if 
they  did  not  kill  him,  he  should  kill  himself  by  his  own 
hands.  The  captain-major  questioned  him  why  he  would 
not  return  to  Calecut,  and  would  kill  himself  in  order  not  to 
go  thither.  He  said  :  "  I  do  not  deserve  to  live  since  I 
have  discovered  the  King's  secret.'"  The  captain-major 
said:  "'If,  then,  you  will  kill  yourself,  who  will  carry  the 
answer  to  the  King  ?  ■'■'  He  replied,  the  Negro  boatmen 
would  carry  it.  Then  the  captain-major  ordered  the  Negroes 
of  the  Indian  boat  to  be  unbound,  and  a  white  cloth  to  be 
given  to  each  of  them,  telling  them  to  row  hard  and  return 
quickly.  He  then  ordered  the  upper  and  lower  lips  of  the 
Brahman  to  be  cut  off,  so  that  all  his  teeth  shewed,  and  he 
ordered  the  ears  of  a  dog  on  board  the  ship  to  be  cut  off, 
and  he  had  them  fastened  and  sewn  with  many  stitches  on 
the  Brahman  instead  of  his,  and  he  sent  him  in  the  Indian 
boat  to  return  to  Calecut.     He,   with    resentment  at   liis 

'  Porpao  or  prepao^  Gallice,  hitton  d^econtes,  a  woodon  frame  before 
the  mast  to  which  the  ropes  of  the  mainsail  are  made  fast. 


364  TORTURE    OF    THE    BRAHMAN. 

injury  which  the  King  had  caused  him,  made  them  row  with 
speed,  so  that  he  arrived  at  Calecut  in  a  day  and  a  night ; 
and  he  presented  himself  before  the  King,  and  said  :  ''Look 
here  at  the  answer  which  I  bring  you.  Look  well  how  you 
manage  your  business.  Let  the  affront  to  you  be  my  ven- 
geance and  that  of  your  fleet."  The  King  felt  himself 
greatly  aggrieved,  and  ordered  that  the  fleet  should  go  at 
once  in  search  of  the  Portuguese,  and  they  were  not  so 
ready  but  that  our  men  had  first  sailed  from  Cochym  ;  for 
our  ships  finished  taking  in  cargo  of  all  that  they  wanted,  at 
'  their  choice,  of  pepper  and  drugs,  which  were  in  superabun- 
dance, because  the  merchants  of  Cochym,  when  they  saw 
our  great  trade  established  from  which  they  derived  so  much 
profit,  had  sent  their  ships  to  Malacca,  and  Banda,  and  Ma- 
I  luco  with  their  merchandise,  which  consisted  of  Cambay 
;  stuffs,  for  which  they  brought  all  sorts  of  drugs,  and  on 
'  their  return  from  Malacca  they  fetched  cinnamon  from 
Ceylon,  and  they  had  all  ready  in  Cochym  for  loading  the 
ships  ;  and  what  remained  over  above  they  went  to  sell  at 
Cambay,  whence  they  fetched  their  stuffs,  with  which  they 
returned  to  Malacca.^ 

'  Barros  and  Osorio  relate  the  incident  of  the  Brahman  envoy  differ- 
ently :  they  say  that  he  came  with  some  youtlis,  two  sons  and  a  nephew, 
whom  he  wished  Gama  to  take  back  to  Portugal  that  they  might  learn 
Latin  and  inquire  into  the  Christian  faith ;  after  a  time  the  Brahman 
said  he  came  about  something  else,  and  that  was  to  mediate  between  the 
Portuguese  and  the  Zamorim,  and  that  the  Zamorim  was  ready  to  re- 
store the  value  of  the  plunder  of  the  factory,  as  much  as  twenty 
thousand  pardaos.  At  length  Gama  decided  on  putting  this  to  the 
proof,  and  left  the  fleet  in  charge  of,  Barros  says,  D.  Luis  Coutinho, 
Osorio  says,  Estevan  da  Gama,  and  sailed  for  Calecut,  Barros  says 
taking  with  him  the  Brahman  and  children,  Osorio  says  leaving  the 
Brahman  behind  at  Cochym.  Arrived  at  Calecut  negotiations  began, 
but  ended  in  nothing,  as  Vicente  Sodre  was  before  Calecut  with  his 
fleet,  and  did  not  allow  even  the  fishing-boats  to  come  out.  Gama's 
ship  was  attacked  one  night  by  several  paraos,  and  two  boats  set  on  fire 
close  to  the  ship,  which  was  in  great  danger  and  had  to  cut  its  cable. 
Barros  says  the  difficulty  of  doing  this  was  increased,   Gama  having 


FACTOR    ArPOINTED    AT    COCHIM.  365 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

How  the  ships  when  laden  sailed  for  Cananor  and  fell  in  with  the  fleet 
of  Calecut,  which  was  routed ;  and  how  they  arrived  at  Cananor, 
and  set  sail  safely  for  Portugal. 

The  captain-major  having  already  ordained  and  concluded 
all  the  affairs  of  the  fleet,  gave  instructions  to  the  factor, 
Diogo  Fernandes  Correa^  with  whom  he  left  itiuch  goods 
which  had  remained  over  and  above,  for  him  to  buy  pepper 
and  store  it  for  another  cargo  ;  and  he  left  carpenters, 
caulkers,  blacksmiths,  turners,  and  cordage  makers,  who 
were  to  refit  the  ships  which  had  to  remain  in  Cochym, 
where  they  could  be  beached,  and  build  other  new  ones  if  it 
was  necessary ;  for  which  a  large  magazine  building  was 
made,  where,  with  the  workmen  and  men-at-arms,  there 
would  remain  as  many  as  sixty  men,i  to  whom  the  factor 
was  to  give  their  pay,  and  a  cruzado  per  month  for  their 
maintenance,  and  two  to  the  workmen  whilst  they  were  at 
work ;  and 'he  provided  very  fully  for  everything.  Then  he 
went  with  the  captains  to  take  leave  of  the  King ;  and  on 
taking  the  letters  which  the  King  sent,  he  said  to  him  : 
"  Sire,  I  thus  leave  matters  ordained  in  your  country  as  if  I 

anchored  with  a  chain  cable  to  prevent  its  being  cut,  and  which  he 
could  not  slip,  and  had  to  cut.  At  length  the  ship  got  loose  and  made 
way  under  sail  from  amidst  the  paraos  and  returned  to  Cochim.  There, 
Osorio  says,  Gama  hung  the  Brahman,  the  children  having  escaped 
ashore  before  the  attack.  Barros  says  the  Brahman  had  gone  ashore  to 
negotiate  and  had  remained  in  Calecut,  and  that  Gama  hung  the  three 
children,  who  had  remained  on  board  as  hostages,  to  his  yardarms,  and 
passed  before  the  town  with  them  suspended,  and  then  sent  their  bodies 
on  shore  with  a  letter  to  the  Zamorim  in  terms  conformable  to  his 
treachery. 

'  Barros  says  he  left  thirty  men,  and  Lorenzo  Moreno  and  Alvaro 
Vaz  as  clerks  to  the  factor. 


366  GAMA    SAILS    FROM    COCHIM. 

(lid  it  in  Portugal ;  but  nothing  shall  be  done  except  with 
your  order,  and  as  may  seem  best  to  you,  because  all  is 
yours,  since  it  belongs  to  the  King  your  brother,  and  know 
for  certain  that  for  your  service  he  would  expend  the  whole 
of  his  kingdom  and  his  vassals  whenever  it  were  necessary  ; 
and  for  your  service  I  leave  Vicente  Sodre,  who  is  here, 
with  eight  caravels  and  ships  and  crews,  who  will  do  all  that 
you  command."  At  which  the  King  was  much  pleased,  for 
he  expected  war  with  Calecut  ;^  and  after  talking  to  the 
King  of  all  that  was  requisite,  all  took  leave  and  returned  to 
the  ships,  which  contained  all  that  was  wanted.  The  cap- 
tain-major told  the  captains  that  if  they  fell  in  with  the 
Calecut  fleet,  they  were  by  no  means  to  board,  but  fight 
with  their  artillery  ;  and  when  the  sails  did  not  serve  them, 
they  were  not  to  strike  them,  but  only  brail  them  up  with 
the  halliards;  and  for  all  the  ships  they  were  to  have  several 
tubs  of  water,  with  pails,  with  which  to  put  out  any  fire, 
which  was  the  greatest  danger  against  whicTfTheyhad  to 
guard.  They  then  set  sail,-  and  he  sent  Vicente  Sodr^  with 
the  caravels  and  his  ships  to  run  along  the  shore,  and  to 
sink  everything  he  fell  in  with ;  and  this  fleet  consisted  of 
three  ships  and  five  caravels ;  and  the  laden  ships  and 
smaller  vessels  were  ten,^  which  stood  more  out  to  sea  ;  and 

'  Osorio  says  the  King  of  Calecut  wrote  to  the  King  of  Cochim 
calling  upon  him  to  give  up  the  Portuguese  to  him ;  but  the  King  of 
Cochim  replied  that  he  was  surprised  at  such  a  proposition,  and  that  so 
illustrious  a  king  should  urge  other  kings  to  fraud  ;  and  the  highest 
power  did  not  constitute  a  king,  but  virtue  that  was  worthy  of  power. 
The  King  of  Calecut  wrote  as  many  as  three  times,  partly  alluring, 
partly  threatening  the  King  of  Cochim,  who  remained  firm :  he  did  not, 
however,  mention  this  to  Gama,  lest  he  should  be  disturbed  by  sinister 
suspicions. 

Barros  says  nothing  of  this.  San  Roman  follows  Osorio,  and  says  the 
King  of  Cochim's  name  was  Triumpar. 

2  Barros  says  he  sailed  on  the  18th  of  January,  1503. 

»  Osorio  says  he  had  thirteen  laden  ships,  and  expected  to  join  three 
others  at  Cananor. 


(JAMA    MKET.S    'i'lIK    CALECUT    FLEET.  oG7 

he  ordered  that  in  fighting  with  the  fleet  they  should  strive 
to  overcome  the  large  ships. 

Sailing  with  this  plan,  one  morning  they  sighted  the  fleet 
of  Calecut,  which  was  coming  along  the  coast  with  a  light 
land  breeze  ;  there  were  so  many  sail  that  our  people  did  not 
see  the  end  of  them,  as  they  came  one  after  the  other  in  a 
long  line,  for  so  the  captain  Cojambar  had  ordered  it  that 
they  might  make  more  show  ;  he  came  in  the  van  with  the 
large  ships,  which  might  be  as  many  as  twenty,  with  many 
fustas  and  large  sambuks,  which  altogether  might  be  seventy 
sail  which  came  in  the  first  squadron,  with  which  Vicente 
Sodre,  who  was  running  close  in  shore,  fell  in,  and  the  rest 
came  behind.^  When  Vicente  Sodre  saw  the  fleet  he  ordered 
the  caravels  to  edge  in  close  inshore,  one  astern  of  the  other 
in  a  line,  and  to  run  under  all  the  sail  they  could  carry, 
firing  as  many  guns  as  they  could,  and  he  with  the  ships 
remained  behind.  Each  of  the  caravels  carried  thirty 
men,  and  four  heavy  guns  below,  and  above  six  falconnets, 
and  ten  swivel-guns  placed  on  the  quarter  deck  and  in 
the  bows,  and  two  of  the  falconnets  fired  astern ;  the  ships 

'  Barros  makes  no  mention  of  this  action  with  the  fleet  of  Calecut ; 
possibly  the  omission  may  be  owing  to  the  interpolation  of  the  minor 
action  before  Calecut,  when  he  says  Gama  left  the  fleet  at  Cochim. 
Osorio  says :  Gama  was  not  more  than  six  leagues  from  Pandarane,  when 
he  discovered  twenty-nine  sail  which  the  King  of  Calecut  had  sent 
against  him.  Upon  the  advice  of  the  other  captains  he  resolved  to 
attack  it.  He  sent  to  the  front  Vincente  Sodre,  Pero  Rafael,  and  Diogo 
Pctreio,  because  their  ships  were  least  laden.  They  attacked  two  Arab 
ships  which  were  foremost ;  the  crews  of  these  ships,  terrified,  before 
Gama  came  up  flung  themselves  into  the  sea ;  the  Portuguese  took  to 
their  boats,  and  killed  more  than  three  hundred  of  them  in  the  waves. 
The  other  Calecut  ships,  seeing  these  two  taken  and  the  crews  killed, 
turned  towards  the  shore,  where  Gama  could  not  follow  them,  as  his 
ships  were  heavily  laden.  In  plundering  the  captured  ships  the  Portu- 
guese found  a  golden  image  of  a  monstrous  shape;  it  weighed  forty 
pounds,  for  eyes  it  had  two  valuable  emeralds,  and  a  large  carbuncle  in 
the  breast,  and  it  was  clothed  with  a  gold  mantle.  After  the  ships  had 
been  emptied  Gama  ordered  them  to  l)e  set  on  fire. 


3G8  ACTION  WITH  THE  CALECUT  FLEET. 

carried    six    guns    below    on    the    deck,    and   two    smaller 
ones  on  the  poop,  and  eight  falconnets  above  and  several 
swivel-guns,    and    before    the    mast^    two    smaller    pieces 
which  fired  forwards ;  the  ships  of  burden  were  much  more 
equipped  with  artillery.    When  they  saw  the  fleet  they  might 
be  about  two  leagues  from  one  another,  so  that  our  men  had 
time  to  prepare  themselves  with  great  order.     The  Moors, 
seeing  our  fleet  was  so  small  whilst  they  were  so  many,  gave 
great  shouts,  with  sound  of  instruments,  and  hung  out  flags 
and  standards,  which  our  men  did  not  attend  to,  so  as  to 
have  less  hamper.    Pero  Rafael  went  in  the  foremost  caravel, 
and  he  stood  as  close  in  shore  as  he  could,  so  that  the  caravels 
remained  to  windward  of  the  Moors.^    Ahead  of  the  Moorish 
flagship  came  many  paraos,  which  arc  like  fustas,  and  they 
remained  to  seaward,  so  that  their  ships  might  shelter  them 
from  the  guns  of  the  caravels  ;  these,  with  the  instructions 
under  which  they  sailed,  could  only  use  their  two  guns  on 
the  seaward  side,  which  in  all  the  caravels  would  be  ten  guns. 
When  they  had  reached  as  far  forward  as  the  Moorish  ships, 
all  recommending  themselves  to  the  Lord,  discharged  their 
guns,  all  firing  at  the  flagship ;  and  those  which  passed  for- 
ward went  against  the  other  ships,  for  it  was  not  possible  to 
miss ;    and  they  made  such  haste  to  load  again  that  they 
loaded  the  guns  with  bags  of  powder  which  they  had  ready 
for  this  purpose  made  to  measure,  so  that  they  could  load 
again  very  speedily.     But  with  this  first  discharge  our  men 
made  such  good  work  that  they  brought  down  the  mast  of 
the  flagship,  which  fell  over  and  stove  in  the  ship  and  killed 
many  Moors  ;  and  another  shot  hit  it  full  and  passed  through 
near  the   poop,   which  it   shattered    much   and  killed    and 
wounded  many  people ;  of  the  other  large  ships  three  were 
stove  in  low  down,  so  that  they  foundered  and  went  to  the 
bottom,  many  people  remaining  on  the  water  swimming,  who 

'  Literally,  in  the  prepao. 

^  The  wind  was  a  land-breeze. 


ACTION  WITH  THE  CALECUT  FLEET.  369 

betook  themselves  to  the  paraos  and  caught  hold  of  the  oars, 
so  that  they  could  not  row,  and  they  could  not  get  out  of  the 
way  of  their  own  ships,  which  came  against  them  and  cap- 
sized them,  so  that  they  so  much  embarrassed  one  another 
that  they  all  remained  stuck  close  to  eacli  other,  and  our 
ships  fired  into  them  for  a  considerable  time,  for  they  fired 
into  the  thick  with  their  heavy  guns,  so  that  they  shattered 
many  in  pieces,  killing  many  people,  on  account  of  which 
there  were  shrieks  and  cries  amongst  the  Moors,    The  ships 
brailed  up  their  sails  to  the  yards   and  discharged  all  their 
guns.     The  Moors,  although  they  were  in  such  straits,  fired 
much  artillery  which  they  carried,  and  much  of  it  threw  shot 
like  bowls,'  and  they  did  not  fight  any  other  way.     Thus 
embarrassed  the  wind  drove  them  out  to  sea,  so  that  the 
ships  lengthened   their  distance  from  them,  always  doing 
them  much  damage  with  the  artillery,  because  our  shot  was 
much  more  powerful  than  theirs.     As  at  this  time  the  ships 
of  burden  had  come  up,  Vicente  Sodre  loosed  his  sails  and 
ran  on  after  the  caravels,  which  were  now  reaching  the  other 
squadron  of  the  Moors,  the  captain  of  which  was  the  Moor 
Coja  Kasim,  which  consisted  of  more  than  a  hundred  sail, 
but  the  greater  part  of  them  were  sambuks,  which  he  had 
collected  to  make  a  show  of  a  great  fleet ;  and  these,  seeing 
the  ships  and  caravels  coming,  as  they  left  the  others  already 
routed,  were  greatly  afraid.    But  the  Moor  held  on  his  course 
with  all  his  large  ships  straight  for  our  ships  to  board  them, 
and  Vicente  Sodre  did  not  turn  aside  because  he  went  with 
all  his  artillery  ready,  and  Euy  Lorenzo  Ravasco  and  Vasco 
Fernandes  Tinoco,  who  were  in  the  other  ships,  also  went 
prepared.     As  the  wind  freshened  and  was  better  for  our 
ships,  they  made  straight  for  the  Moorish  flagship  which 
came  foremost  and  in  the  centre  of  the  others,  and  before 
closing   there  was  a  discharge  of  many  shot;    and  as  the 

•  This  means  apparently  that  the  shot  of  the  Calecut  fleet  travelled 
very  slowly. 


370  ACTION  WITH  THE  CALECUT  FLEET. 

flagship  carried  much  artillery^  one  shot  entered  the  ship  of 
Vasco  Tinoco,  and  killed  him  and  two  men,  wounding  others 
with  splinters  of  wood,  but  a  shot  from  the  Portuguese  ship 
took  the  flagship  obliquely  and  threw  it  into  disorder,  killing 
many  men,  because  all  the  Moors  showed  themselves  above, 
but  our  men  remained  below  and  none  showed  except  the 
gunners  and  the  men  who  assisted  them.  The  Portuguese 
ships  kept  their  steerage  way,  keeping  aloof  from  the  Moorish 
ships,  passing  amongst  them  all,  doing  wonders  with  their 
artillery,  firing  both  broadsides  and  their  poop  and  forecastle 
guns,  as  in  all  directions  it  was  not  possible  to  miss ;  the 
Moors  also  fired  much  artillery  which  they  carried,  but  they 
were  small  guns,  and  when  they  passed  near  our  ships  they 
covered  them  with  arrows,  but  they  did  not  hurt  the  men  who 
lay  hid,  and  so  they  passed  through  all  the  fleet  •  of  the 
Moors,  and  when  they  had  passed  the  ships  and  sails  were 
all  covered  with  arrows,  and  there  were  many  holes  in  the 
sails  and  much  rigging  broken  ;  but  the  Moorish  ships  were 
much  ill-treated,  they  were  shattered  and  stove  in,  and  many 
had  the  masts  and  yards  shattered,  which  was  the  greatest 
advantage  our  men  obtained. 

The  caravels,  which  ran  along,  also  entered  amongst  the 
Moors  without  fear,  seeing  that  they  did  not  carry  heavy 
guns,  and  they  also  discharged  their  guns  on  both  sides, 
firing  with  the  heavy  guns  between  wind  and  water,  and 
with  the  falconnets  and  swivel-guns  at  the  Moors  on  deck, 
so  that  they  killed  many  people  and  broke  masts  and  yards 
which  fell  upon  the  Moors  and  killed  them ;  and  when  the 
caravels  passed  forward  they  also  had  some  men  who  worked 
^he  guns  wounded  with  arrows.  When  they  had  quite  gone 
through  they  turned  upon  the  other  tack,  as  did  also  the 
ships,  and  turning  back  thus  the  wind  was  insuflScient,  for 
they  could  not  sail  upon  the  bowline  as  close  as  the  Moorish 
ships,  which  were  making  for  the  shore  as  much  as  they 
could  to  escape  from  our  ships  :  but  the  caravels  overhauled 


ACTION  WITH  THE  CALECUT  FLEET.  371 

them  and  remained  astern  of  them,  so  that  then  they  aimed 
at  leisure  at  the  large  ships,  and  those  that  were  hit  were 
soon  sent  to  the  bottom.  In  this  confusion  the  other  first 
ships  of  the  Moors  came  up,  and  the  Portuguese  ships  of 
burden  came  up  with  them,  and  when  they  were  within 
range  the  captain-major  ordered  them  to  fire,  which  the 
other  ships  did  also,  for  they  came  in  file,  one  after  the  other, 
as  the  captain-major  had  ordered.  As  they  fired  many  heavy 
guns  they  caused  such  terror  to  the  Moors  that  they  edged 
away  in  shore  as  much  as  they  could.  But  with  the  con- 
fusion they  drifted  away  a  good  deal  to  seawards,  and  the 
wind  fell  calm  so  that  all  remained  becalmed ;  the  Moors 
then  made  much  use  of  their  rowing  paraos  which  lengthened 
their  distance  from  the  Portuguese  large  and  small  ships, 
which  could  not  i*each  them  with  their  artillery ;  but  the 
caravels  also  had  themselves  towed  by  their  boats  so  that 
they  came  up  with  the  large  ships,  and  Pero  Rafael  advanced 
so  much  that  he  reached  the  ship  of  Coja  Kasim  and  fired  so 
many  shots  into  his  rigging  that  he  brought  down  his  yard, 
for  he  broke  the  halliards,  and  as  the  sail  held  no  wind  it  fell 
in  board  and  killed  and  wounded  many  people. 

The  captain -major,  seeing  that  the  business  was  certain, 
sent  the  boats  with  falconnets  and  swivel-guns,  and  in  each 
boat  twenty  armed  men,  with  cross-bow  men,  to  go  to  the 
ships  which  were  becalmed,  and  shoot  at  them  above  and 
kill  the  crews.  This  they  did,  so  that  the  Moors  threw 
themselves  into  the  sea,  and  went  swimming  round  the 
ships.  The  paraos  seeing  the  boats  ventured  against  them, 
and  came  to  attack  and  board  them,  but  our  men  entered 
with  lance  thrusts  and  drove  them  into  the  sea.  Then  the 
gunners  entered,  and  with  their  hammers  knocked  out  the 
planks  at  the  bottom,  so  that  the  water  came  in,  and  they 
went  to  the  bottom.  This  they  did  to  six  or  seven  vessels, 
after  which  the  others  would  not  come  up  any  more.  Then 
two  boats  went  to  join  the  caravel  of  Pero  Rafael,  and  they 


372  ACTION  WITH  THE  CALECUT  FLEET. 

shot  80  much  at  the  crew  that  all  of  them  cast  themselves 
into  the  sea,  and  the  Moor  threw  himself  into  a  parao  and 
fled.  Then  Pero  Afonso  d'Aguiar,  who  was  in  one  of  the 
boats,  ordered  them  to  enter  the  ship,  which  was  empty  of 
men,  and  they  saw  that  it  was  laden  with  pepper ;  and  they 
took  it  in  tow,  and  brought  it  close  to  the  captain -major, 
and  went  and  told  him  that  the  ship  was  thus  laden.  The 
captain-major  ordered  them  to  break  into  the  ship,  and 
afterwards  set  it  on  fire.  Pero  Rafael  and  Gil  Matoso  went 
inside  and  found  a  cabin  below,  with  many  Moorish  women 
and  little  children,  and  very  rich  things,  which  Coja  Kasim 
had  embarked  secretly,  with  the  design,  if  he  lost  the  battle, 
of  going  to  Mekkah,  and  on  this  account  he  had  also  em- 
barked his  women  and  the  children  he  had.  There  was  also 
found  there  an  image  of  Mahomed,  which  he  carried  to  offer 
to  the  leg-bone,  which  was  of  solid  gold  and  jewels,  which 
was  worth  much  money  ;^  and  the  captain-major  kept  it  and 
some  pretty  girls  for  the  Queen.  All  the  rest  he  left  to  the 
captains  and  sailors,  who  found  many  very  rich  things  in  the 
ship,  and  many  women  also  put  below  in  cabins,  who 
belonged  to  rich  Moors  who  were  also  embarked  with  the 
Moor.  Then  the  captain-major  sent  his  boat  to  the  ships 
and  caravels  to  tell  the  crews  to  flock  to  the  ships  and 
plunder  them,  and  set  them  on  fire.  This  they  did,  but  they 
did  not  find  anything  to.  plunder,  for  they  were  sambuks  and 
vessels  which  had  come  to  fight;  so  they  set  them  on  fire.  The 
sea  was  full  of  people  waiting  for  wind  to  return  to  the  ships 
and  go  away.  But  whilst  the  calm  lasted,  many  vessels  and 
sambuks,  towed  by  their  boats,  escaped  to  the  shore.  When 
it  was  mid-day  the  sea-breeze  arose,  at  which  the  captain- 
major  fired  a  swivel-gun,  and  hoisted  a  flag  at  the  stern, — 

«  This  story  of  the  image  either  arose  out  of  a  popular  prejudice  in 
the  Peninsula  that  such  images  are  kept  at  Mekkah,  or  else  if  there  was 
such  an  image,  it  must  have  been  a  Hindu  idol  carried  off  by  Coja 
Kasim.     Sec  Osorio's  statement,  note,  p.  307. 


ACTION  WITH  THE  CALECUT  FLEET.  373 

the  signal  to  summon  the  ships, — and  went  on  the  course 
for  Cananor,  giving  to  the  Lord  great  praise  and  thanks  for 
the  so  great  favour  which  He  had  shewn  him ;  and  he  went 
with  little  sail  so  that  they  might  come  up  with  him,  which 
all  did,  saluting  with  shouts  and  cries  of  joy,  and  the  cap- 
tain-major spoke  to  all,  giving  them  many  praises  and  satis- 
faction for  their  honour. 

Vicente  Sodre  shouted  to  the  captain-major,  and  said  that 
it  was  not  well  to  pass  by  Calecut  without  showing  them 
some  sign  of  the  festival  which  they  had  held,  and  asked 
his  leave  to  return  to  the  Moors  to  take  some  signal  which 
he  might  carry  to  Calecut.  The  captain-major  told  him  to 
go,  and  welcome,  with  the  caravels,  which  returned  with 
him  ;  and  with  the  sea-breeze  they  soon  reached  the  shat- 
tered and  dismasted  ships,  and  they  found  in  a  ship  the 
other  Moor  Cojambar,  who  was  now,  with  his  crew,  doing 
his  best  to  make  sail  on  his  ship  ;  but  seeing  our  men 
return,  all  the  Moors  took  to  flight,  swimming,  for  they  were 
near  the  land.  Then  the  Portuguese  ships  took  in  their 
sails  without  anchoring,  and  went  to  the  ships  to  plunder, 
but  they  found  there  little  property.  They  then  made  fast 
the  large  ship  astern  of  other  ships  which  carried  sail,  and 
each  ship  took  in  tow  the  vessels  and  sambuks  which  she 
was  able  to  draw  after  her,  for  they  only  carried  ballast,  and 
they  returned  towards  Calecut.  In  this  manner,  on  the  next 
day,  they  arrived  before  Calecut  far  out  in  the  offing,  for  the 
wind  carried  them  there  with  the  sambuks,  with  which  they 
could  not  haul  upon  the  bowline.  When  the  wind  fell  calm, 
they  made  fast  the  ships  and  sambuks  to  one  another  low 
down  at  the  water-line,  and  when  the  wind  sprung  up  they 
went  before  the  city  and  set  fire  to  them  all,  and  let  them 
go  ashore ;  and  they  made  a  fearful  fire,  for  there  were 
thirteen  vessels  and  sambuks,  which,  with  the  wind,  went  as 
far  as  the  beach,  where  there  were  crowds  of  people,  upon 
whom  the  ships  made  a  discharge  with  their  artillery,  and  a 


374  ARTILLERY    LANDED    AT    CANANOR, 

large  portion  of  it  readied  them.  They  then  went  on  the 
course  for  Cananor,  where  the  captain-major  already  was. 
He  arrived  with  much  show  of  rejoicing',  and  the  fleet 
dressed  out  with  flags,  saluting  with  chambers  so  as  not  to  in- 
jure the  ships;  and  he  landed  and  went  to  the  church  with  all 
the  crews  to  give  praise  to  the  Lord ;  and  Gil  Fernandes 
Barbosa  took  possession  of  his  factory,  with  Bastian  Alvares 
and  Diogo  Nunes  as  clerks.'  This  Gil  Fernandes  had  a 
nephew  named  Duarte  Barbosa,  who,  remaining  with  him  in 
Cochym,  learned  the  language  of  the  Malabars  so  well,  that 
he  spoke  it  better  than  the  people  of  the  country. 

Here  the  captain-major  held  a  consultation  with  the  cap- 
tains as  to  what  was  to  be  done  with  the  artillery,  as  it  was 
not  good  that  it  should  return  to  Portugal  ;  and  all  said 
that  it  would  be  well  to  leave  it,  and  to  speak  upon  the  sub- 
ject to  the  King,  so  that  he  might  not  think  it  strange  to 
see  artillery  disembarked  in  his  country.  This  having  been 
agreed  upon,  the  captain-major  went  to  speak  to  the  King 
and  to  take  leave  of  him,  and  give  him  explanations  about 
the  artillery  which  he  wished  to  leave  :  to  which  the  King 
said  that  he  did  well,  and  they  talked  for  some  time  of  the 
dispersion  of  the  fleet,  the  King  saying  that  now  the  Zamo- 
rim  would  never  make  another.  He  then  gave  the  captain- 
major  letters  and  presents  for  the  King  of  Portugal,  after 
which  they  took  leave  of  one  another.  The  captain-major 
went  immediately  to  the  ships,  and  hurried  the  sending 
ashore  of  the  artillery,  so  that  before  it  was  morning  the 
boats  were  already  at  the  shore  with  the  heavy  guns,  and 
they  rolled  them  on  shore  on  beams,  and  many  gunners  and 
artillery  took  them  up  above  to  the  settlement  and  put  them 
in  a  hollow  from  which  stone  had  been  quarried  ;  there  were 
thirty  guns  and  twenty  falconnets,  which  were  all  covered 
over  with  earth.     And  the   next  day   they  landed   twelve, 

1  BaiTos  iiiunes  the  clerks  liastiiin  Alvcares  and  Diogo  Godinho. 


THE    FACTORY    AT    CANANOR   WALLED    IN.  375 

which  they  had  not  room  for,^  and  twenty  falconnets  and 
forty  swivel  guns,  which  were  also  buried  with  the  falcon- 
nets,  and  they  landed  the  gun-carriages  and  a  quantity  of 
cannon-shot,  which  were  also  buried  ;  and  all  was  collected 
together  so  that  it  was  not  perceived.  Then  the  captain- 
major  sent  through  the  factor  to  entreat  the  King  much  to 
send  his  Gozil  with  his  stonemasons  to  build  a  thick  wall  of 
stone,  and  high,  outside  of  the  palissade,  with  its  gate  shut 
with  a  key,  and  that  at  night  he  should  send  to  shut  the 
door,  and  keep  the  key  ;  and  that  in  doing  this  he  would 
give  him  great  pleasure,  because  the  Portuguese  would  re- 
main at  night  shut  in  under  his  key.  AVitli  this  the  Kiug 
was  much  pleased,  and  pi-omised  the  captain-major  that  it 
should  be  done  at  once  ;  for  he  thought  that  the  captain- 
major  did  it  with  the  desire  that  the  Portuguese  should 
remain  subject  to  him.  But  the  captain-major  did  it  be- 
cause, with  a  wall  thus  built,  the  settlement  remained  secure 
from  fire.  This  wall  was  built  before  a  month  had  elapsed ; 
and  the  captain-major  charged  the  factor  above  all  to  keep  a 
strict  watch  with  respect  to  fire,  and  that  the  men  should 
cook  their  supper  by  day,  and  should  not  keep  fires  at  night 
nor  candles  in  any  house ;  and  he  left  full  regulations  for 
everything  with  the  factor.  He  left  with  the  captain-major 
of  the  sea  the  power  over  everything  by  sea  and  land,  with 
powers  like  those  he  himself  enjoyed ;  and  he  ordered  him 
to  cruise  along  the  coast  all  the  summer,  doing  all  sorts  of 
injury  to  the  affairs  of  Calecut,  and  always  to  visit  Cochym, 
and  not  to  take  more  ships  than  he  needed,  and  to  lay  up 
the  others  in  Cananor  or  in  Cochym,  where  he  was  to  pass 
the  winter  if  there  should  be  war,  and  he  was  to  do  all  that 
the  King  of  Cochym  ordered  him,  because  so  the  King  of 
Portugal  commanded ;  and  should  there  not  be  any  necessity 

^  Porque  nom  cobrirao,  Lisbon  edition  ;  que  nao  cobrirao,  Duke  of 
Goa's  MS.  Neither  of  these  readings  makes  sense,  and  I  have  sujiposed 
that  by  an  error  the  verb  cohrir  has  been  substituted  for  the  verb  caber. 


376  gama's  instructions  to  vicente  sodre. 

for  wintering  in  Cocliym,  he  was  to  go  further  along  the 
coast,  and  cruise  for  prizes  among  the  ships  bound  for 
Mekkah  ;i  and  the  ships  of  Cambay  he  was  to  let  pass  as 
friends  ;  and  in  all  respects  he  was  to  act  so  as  to  gain 
friends,  and  take  care  that  the  crews  were  well  treated  and 
paid,  for  there  remained  much  merchandise  in  the  factory ; 
and  he  left  twenty  pipes  of  powder,  which  the  factor  put 
into  jars  underground  well  preserved.^ 
/  The  captain-major  ordered  the  clerks  of  the  factory  to 
make  a  list  of  all  the  people  who  might  choose  to  remain  in 
the  fleet^  of  their  own  accord,  because  he  did  not  leave  more 
than  thirty  men*  with  their  officers  in  the  factory.  On  this 
account,  the  men,  longing  for  the  prizes  which  they  hoped 
to  make,  rejoiced  to  remain,  and  there  remained  two  hun- 
dred men.  And  he  appointed  as  captains  of  the  ships. 
Bras  Sodre,  brother  of  the  chief  captain,  and  Pero  d^Atayde, 
a  good  gentleman,  and  as  captains  of  the  caravels,  Joan 
Lopez  Perestrelo,  Antonio  Fernandes  the  Red,  Ruy  de 
Mendanha,  and  Gomes  Ferreira,  who  had  been  factor. 
Evei'ything  having  been  thus  provided  for,  as  much  as  was 

y 

1  Yicente  Sodre  was  wrecked  and  drowned  in  July  or  August  of  1503, 
at  anchor  off  the  Curia  Muria  Islands.     His  brother,  Bras  Sodre^'s  shipT" 
was  also  wrecked,  but  he  and  his  crew  escaped  to  land,  as  Correa  says, 
by  their  mast  and  rigging,  which  fell  overboard  towards  the  shore. 

2  Osorio  says  Gama  made  a  treaty  with  the  King  of  Cananor,  which 
provided  that  the  King  of  Cananor  should  never  make  war  on  the  King 
of  Cochim,  nor  should  he  join  with  the  King  of  Calecut  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  Cochim,  neither,  if  the  King  of  Calecut  made  war  on  Cochim, 
was  he  to  send  him  supplies  ;  and  Gama  committed  to  the  charge  of  the 
King  of  Cananor  the  Portuguese  who  were  to  remain  there  for  King 
Manuel's  affairs. 

Gama  left  six  ships  with  Vicente  Sodre,  who  was  to  support  the  King 
of  Cochim  as  much  as  possible  against  Calecut ;  and  if  by  February 
there  was  no  appearance  of  hostilities,  he  was  to  go  to  the  Arabian 
Straits,  and  carry  on  war  against  the  Arabs. 

3  The  fleet  of  Vicente  Sodr6. 

^  Barros  says  he  left  about  twenty  men  in  the  factory. 


GAMA  RETURNS  TO  PORTUGAL.  877 

requisite,  the  fleet  set  sail  for  Portugal/  and  Vicente  Sodre 
went  in  company  with  it,  with  his  fleet,  as  far  as  Mount 
Dely,  where  they  took  in  wood  and  water,  and  took  on  board 
their  boats  and  skiffs,  which  was  all  done  in  two  days,  and 
they  departed  standing  out  to  sea,  sailing  for  Melinde,  with 
such  favourable  weather  that  in  few  days  they  arrived  at 
Melinde,  and  anchored  outside  the  port;  and  the  captain- 
major  at  once  disembarked  in  his  boat  and  went  on  shore, 
and  the  King  made  great  rejoicings  for  him.  The  captain- 
major  told  his  captains  to  return  to  the  ships,  and  to  send 
and  fetch  from  the  shore  whatever  they  required,  and  he  re- 
mained with  the  King  that  night  and  the  next  day,  giving 
him  an  account  of  all  that  he  had  left  accomplished  in  India; 
and  taking  the  letters  and  things  for  the  King  of  Portugal, 
they  took  leave  of  one  another  like  great  friends.  At  sun- 
set the  captain-major  went  away  to  embark,  and  the  King 
had  ah'eady  filled  the  ships  with  sheep  and  many  fresh  pro- 
visions. When  it  was  night  he  set  sail  along  the  coast  with 
very  fair  winds,  and  did  not  choose  to  enter  Mozambique, 
as  he  had  no  need  to  do  so,  but  continued  his  course  without 
ever  meeting  with  any  storm  or  hindrance,  but  only  winds 
with  which  all  his  sails  served.  So  he  made  his  course  for 
the  Tercoira  Islands,  which  he  sighted,  but  which  also  he  did 
not  touch  at,  as  he  had  a  very  fair  wind,  and  he  ari'ived  at 
the  bar^  of  Lisbon  in  the  evening,  at  the  time  of  full  tide, 
with  which  there  entered  into  the  river  three  ships  of 
Flanders ;  Tie  also  entered  together  with  them,  without 
anchoring,  except  before  the  city."    This  is  a  thing  to  be  set 

'  Osorio  says  Gaina  sailed  from  Cananor  on  the  28th  day  of  December, 
1502. 

'^  Osorio  says  of  the  return  voyage  that  Gama  took  in  water  and  pro- 
visions at  Mozambique,  and  met  with  a  storm  not  far  from  the  Cape,  in 
which  Estevan  da  Gama's  ship  parted  company  from  the  others.  Gama, 
however,  reached  Lisbon  on  the  1st  of  September,  1503,  with  twelve 
laden  ships  :  six  days  later  Estevan  da  Gama  reached  Lisbon  after  au 
equally  prosperous  voyage. 


378  EECEPTION    OP    GAMA    BY    THE    KING. 

down  to  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Lord^  that  weighing  his 
anchor  at  Mehnde^  he  cast  it  again  in  Lisbon,  with  ten  ships 
laden  with  very  great  wealth,  after  leaving  such  great  ser- 
vices accomplished  in  India.    When  this  was  told  to  the  King, 

I    he  felt  much  pleasure,  and  sent  to  visit  the  captain-major  by 

I  D.  Nuno  Manuel,  his  captain  of  the  guard,  and  he  himself 
went  on  horseback  with  many  people  to  the  cathedral,  to 

1  give  much  praise  to  the  Lord  before  the  altar  of  Saint  Vin- 
cent.    Dom  Vasco,  when  D.  Nuno  came  to  visit  him  on  the 

J  part  of  the  King,  disembarked  afterwards  with  him,  and  all 
the  captains ;  and  coming  out  upon  the  shore  they  found 
many  relations  and  friends,  and  horses,  upon  which  they  all 
mounted,  and  went  their  way  to  the  cathedral,  where  the 
King  had  ordered  them  to  go  and  give  praise  to  the  Lord, 
accompanied  by  the  Bishop  of  Gruarda  and  the  Count  of 
Penela,  whom  the  King  sent  to  receive  them  ;  and  they  ar- 
rived where  the  King  was ;  and  when  they  had  ended  their 
prayers,  they  went  to  kiss  his  hand.^     The   King   treated 

Barros  also  mentions  that  Vicente  Sodre  accompanied  Gama  during 
the  day  on  which  they  left  Cananor.  He  says  Gama  did  not  stop  any- 
where except  at  Mozambique  to  take  in  some  cargo,  and  though  he  met 
with  hard  weather,  he  arrived  at  Lisbon  with  nine  sail  on  the  10th  of 
November.  Barros  also  mentions  the  arrival  of  the  Dutch  ships  at  the 
same  time  as  Gama,  along  v*ith  two  caravels  from  S.  Jorge  da  Miua,, 
and  two  ships  from  Orau  laden  with  carpets,  and  a  ship  from  the 
Levant  named  the  Annuiciada^  one  of  the  most  beautiful  vessels  seen  in 
Europe. 

San  Roman  relates  the  rendering  tributary  the  King  of  Quiloa  as 
having  happened  on  the  return  voyage  instead  of  in  the  outward  voyage ; 
he  says  Gama  arrived  at  Lisbon  on  the  1st  September,  1503,  and  also 
mentions  the  arrival  at  the  same  moment  of  the  Dutch  ships  and  other 
vessels  from  the  Levant. 

1  Barros  and  San  Roman  say  that  on  his  arrival  at  Lisbon  Gama  pre- 
sented to  the  King  the  tribute  paid  by  the  King  of  Quiloa,  which  was 
carried  in  a  large  silver  basin  ;  with  this  tribute  money  (which  Barros 
had  said  was  five  hundred  mithcals,  and  San  Roman  says  was  two 
thousand  mithcals  of  gold),  the  King  ordered  a  gold  custodia,  or 
tabernacle,  to  be  made,  which  he  presented  to  the  church  of  Belem  as 
the  first-fruits  of  his  victories  in  Asia.     This  custodia  was  sent  by  the 


HONOURS  GRANTED  TO  QAMA.  379 

them  all  with  much  honour,  and  with  great  rejoicings  he 
mounted  his  horse,  and  went  conversing  with  the  captain- 
major  to  the  palace  in  the  upper  part  of  the  castle,  where  he 
then  lodged  ;  and  they  went  in  to  the  Queen,  and  all  of 
them  kissed  her  hand  and  that  of  the  Prince,  the  Queen 
shewing  them  much  honour.  The  King  then  bade  them  go 
and  repose,  for  such  good  services  well  deserved  it.  To 
honour  so  fortunate  a  voyage,  the  King  bestowed  great 
favours  on  the  captains,  and  ordered  the  immediate  payment 
to  the  crews  of  all  that  was  owing  to  them,  and  an  easy 
dispatch  of  their  chests  and  things  in  the  custoui-house  ; 
and  to  Dom  Yasco  he  gave  great  favours,  and  all  his  goods 
free  and  exempt,  and  he  granted  him  the  anchorage  dues  of 
India,  and  made  him  admiral  of  its  seas  for  ever;  and  he 
bestowed  the  anchorage  dues  on  his  heirs,  and  made  him 
one  of  the  principal  men  of  his  kingdom,  and  always  in- 
creased him  with  greater  honours,  as  will  be  seen  further  on 
in  these  histories.^  - — J 

King  D.  Luis  to  the  Paris  Exhibition  of  18fi7  :  a  correspondent  of  the 
Times,  November  1,  18G7,  says  that  it  was  made  by  Gil  Vicente  of  the 
convent  of  Belem  and  i>kiced  there ;  and  tliat  on  the  suppression  of 
religious  houses  it  was  placed  in  the  mint. 

'  Correa  says,  tom.  i,  p.  525,  that  in  1505  the  King  appointed  Tristan 
da  Cunha  to  govern  India  for  three  years,  and  a  great  fleet  was  pre- 
pared, with  respect  to  which  Tristan  da  Cunha  gave  all  the  necessary- 
orders,  with  7nuch  assistance  fronv  Dom  Vasco  da  (Jama,  who  was  the 
principal  person  in  all  the  affairs  of  India.  At  p.  529,  in  speaking  of 
D.  Francisco  d'Almeida's  preparations  to  go  to  India  in  1505  instead  of 
Tristan  da  Cunha,  who  had  suddenly  become  blind,  Correa  says  that 
Almeida  had  got  a  great  abundance  of  stores  and  munitions,  according 
to  the  very  full  mijiutes  xohich  D.  Vasco  da  Garna  gave  with  respect  to  all, 
for  he  directed  and  ordained  everi/thing,  having  been  already  appointed 
admiral  of  the  Indian  Sea,  and  he  was  always  with  the  Viceroy  de- 
spatching business. 

Correa  makes  no  other  mention  of  Vasco  da  Gama  till  1524. 


THE  THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  VASCO  DA  GAMA,  AND 

HIS  VICEROYALTY:   FROM    THE  ''LENDAS 

DA    INDIA /^    OF    GAS  PAR    CORREA 

(LISBON,    1861.) 


CHAPTER    I. 

Dom  Vasco  da  Gama,  second  Viceroy  of  India,  who  went  thither  this 

year — 1524. 

On  the  eleventli  of  September^  there  arrived  at  the  bar  of 
Goa^  DoEQ  Vasco  da  Gama,  who  discovered  India,  as  viceroy 
of  India ;  he  had  been  made  Count  of  Vidigueira,  and  ad- 
miral of  the  Indian  seas,  and  he  came  this  year  in  the  ship 
St.  Catherine  of  Mount  Sinay,  and  with  him  there  came  two 
sons  ;  the  elder  named  Dom  Estevan  da  Gama,  who  was 
captain-major  at  sea,  and  later  was  governor  of  India ;  and 
the  other  named  Dom  Paulo  da  Gama,  who  was  killed  in 
the  war  of  Malacca.  The  said  Dom  Vasco  broug-ht  with 
him  great  state,  and  was  served  by  men  bearing  silver 
maces,  by  a  major-domo,  and  two  pages  with  gold  neck- 
chains,  many  equerries,  and  body  servants,  very  well  clothed 
and  cared  for ;  he  also  brought  rich  vessels  of  silver,  and 
rich  tapestry  of  Flanders,  and  for  the  table  at  which  he 
sate,  brocade  cloths.  They  brought  to  him  at  table  large 
dishes,  as  if  to  the  king,  with  his  napkin-bearer  bringing 
hiin  the  ewer,  and  all  the  forms  of  precedence  of  a  king. 
The  ornaments  of  his  wardrobe,  bed,  and  chapel  were  very 

•  The  original  MS.  has — Era   xi  de   Setembro   chegou,  etc. ;  it  is 
possible  that  an  x  was  omitted. 

Castanheda  says  Gama  left  Portugal  on  the  9th  of  April,  1524. 


CAPTAINS    IN    GAMA's    FLEET.  381 

complete,  with  much  show  and  arrangement.  He  had  a 
guard  of  two  hundred  men,  with  gilt  pikes,  clothed  with  his 
livery.  He  kept  a  splendid  table;  all  the  gentlemen  and 
honourable  persons  ate  with  him.  He  brought  out  with 
him  complete  power  of  justice  and  revenue,  like  the  King^t 
self,  over  all  persons  who  might  be  found  beyond  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  He  was  a  very  disdainful  man,  and  ready 
to  anger,  very  rash,  much  feared  and  respected,  very 
knowing  and  experienced  in  all  matters.  Ho  brought  with 
him  very  brilliant  soldiery,  and  as  captains,  men  of  high 
family,  the  greater  part  of  whom  had  been  brought  up  in 
the  labours  of  Indian  affairs  ;  '^also  Afonso  Mexia,  clerk  of 
the  King's  chamber,  as  overseer  of  the  treasury,  and  as 
secretary,  Yicento  Pegado,  a  noble  gentleman,  who  in  the 
oflEice  spoke  to  him  with  one  knee  on  the  ground.  He 
brought  out  large  supplies  for  the  magazines,  and  much  ar- 
tillery, and  armouries  of  white  weapons,  rich  cuirasses  and 
firelocks,  which  were  given  to  the  people  in  his  pay,  as  was 
the  custom  in  the  kingdom.^  There  came  with  him  Dom 
Anrique  de  Meneses,  as  captain  of  Goa,  who  later  was  go- 
vernor of  India,  aud  Lopo  Vaz  da  Sampayo,  as  captain  of 
Cochym,  who  also  was  governor  in  India ;  and  Pero  Mas- 
carenhas  as  captain  of  Malacca,  who  also  governed  India,  as 
will  be  seen  in  this  history,  in  their  times.  And  there  came 
Antonio  da  Silveira,  D.  Fernando  de  Monroyo,  and  D.  Simao 
de  Meneses,  who  was  to  be  captain  at  Cananor,  and  Vicente 
Gil,  a  shipping  agent,  and  the  overseer  of  the  revenue,  and 
Antonio  Carvalho,  his  clerk,  in  small  ships,  and  Francisco 
de  Brito  for  the  voyage  to  Ormuz;  and  Ruy  Gonzalvez,  who 
was  captain  of  the  militia  in  India,  Lopo  Lobo,  Christovuo 
Rosado,  Mosem  Gaspar  Homem,  a  foreigner,  these  four 
were  in  lateen-rigged  carvels  ;  and  Pero  Velho  in  a  round 
carvel.     Dom   Fernando  de  Monroyo  was  wrecked  on  the 

*  Barros  says  the  fleet  carried  three  thousand  men,  a  great  part  of 
whom  were  gentlemen,  knights,  and  dependents  of  the  King's  palace. 


382  GAMA    SIGHTS    THE    INDIAN    COAST. 

coast  of  Melinde,  which  I  will  relate  further  on ;  the  Mosem_ 
!  Graspar,  being  a  man  of  narrow  understanding,  and  not  con- 
ducting himself  well  with  the  people,  the  seamen,  and  master 
and  pilot  killed  him,i  and  seized  upon  the  carvel  and  went 
to  the  Strait  to  cruise  for  prizes,  where  they  were  captured 
by  Antonio  da  Miranda,  who  went  there  with  a  fleet,  and 
brought  them  to  India,  where  all  were  hung.  The  viceroy 
arrived  at  Mozambique,^  where  he  provided  what  was  neces- 
sary, and  from  thence  he  sent  one  of  his  servants  in  the 
carvel  of  Mosem  Gaspar  with  a  present  of  various  thino-s  of 
the  kingdom,  which  he  sent  to  the  King  of  Melinde,  with 
letters  of  great  friendship,  and  asking  pardon  for  not  going 
to  visit  him  in  person,  as  he  had  a  large  fleet  to  lade,  and 
time  was  wanting.  In  this  voyage,  on  leaving  Melinde  for 
India,  the  mice  Gaspar  was  killed. 

The  Viceroy  with  the  fleet  reached  the  coast  of  India  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Dabul ;  and  before  they  saw  land,  and 
with  the  wind  becalmed,  during  the  watch  of  daybreak,  the 
sea  trembled  in  such  manner,  giving  such  great  buffets  to 
the  ships,  that  all  thought  they  were  on  shoals,  and  struck 
the  sails,  and  lowered  the  boats  into  the  sea  with  great 
shouts  and  cries,  and  discharge  of  cannons.  On  casting  the 
lead,  with  the  perturbation,  they  did  not  find  any  bottom, 

*  Barros  says  Gama's  fleet  was  composed  of  nine  large  ships  and  five 
lateen  carvels,  which  sailed  from  Lisbon  on  the  9th  April,  152-4.  Besides 
the  captains  mentioned  by  Correa,  he  names  D.  Jorge  de  Meneses  and 
Francisco  de  Sa,  son  of  Joao  llodrigues  do  Sa,  alcaide  m6r  of  Oporto, 
who  was  to  go  to  Java  to  erect  a  fort  at  Sunda.  Barros  says  that  Mosem 
Gaspar  was  a  INIajorcan :  he  mentions  the  loss  of  the  ship  of  Francisco 
de  Brito,  of  the  galloon  of  D.  Francisco  de  Monroy  on  the  shoals  of 
Melinde,  whose  crew  were  saved,  and  the  loss  of  the  carvels  of  Christovao 
Rosado  and  Mosem  Gaspar. 

Castanheda  also  says  Gama  sailed  on  the  9th  April  with  fourteen  sail, 
of  which  seven  were  ships,  four  caravels,  and  three  galleons. 

"^  Barros  says  the  fleet  arrived  at  Mozambique  on  the  14th  of  August, 
and  that  Gama  there  repaired  a  yardarm  which  had  been  sprung  in  his 
own  ship. 


EARTHQUAKE    AT    BEA.  383 

and  they  cried  to  God  for  mercy,  because  tlie  ships  pitched 
so  violently  that  the  men  could  not  stand  upright,  and  the 
chests  were  sent  from  one  end  of  the  ship  to  the  other.  This 
trembling  came  on  with  violence,  and  died  off,  and  then 
again  was  renewed,  each  time  during  the  space  of  a  Credo, 
The  whole  lasted  for  about  an  hour,  in  which  the  water  made 
a  great  boiling  up,  one  sea  struggling  with  another.  There 
came  with  the  Viceroy  a  master  of  the  art  of  medicine,  an 
astrologer,  who  at  once  said  to  the  Viceroy  that  it  was  a 
quaking  of  the  sea.^     When  it  was  clear  day  they  saw  the 

^  Barros  gives  a  similar  account  of  the  confusion  caused  by  the  earth- 
quake ;  he  says  it  happened  on  Wednesday  (the  7th),  eve  of  Our  Lady 
of  September  (the  8th)  at  eight  p.m.,  and  lasted  a  quarter  of  an  hour; 
it  was  followed  by  a  very  heavy  fall  of  rain,  like  a  deluge,  which  fell 
without  wind  or  other  previous  signs :  it  lasted  a  short  time.  He  adds 
that  Gama,  when  he  saw  what  was  going  on,  and  the  fears  of  the  crew, 
said  to  them :  "  Friends !  be  glad  and  joyful,  for  the  sea  trembles  at  us : 
have  no  fear,  for  this  is  an  earthquake."  Barros  says  all  the  damage 
done  was  the  loss  of  a  man  who  cast  himself  into  the  sea  thinking  that 
the  ship  had  grounded  on  a  bank.  Shortly  after  Gama's  fleet  captured 
a  Moorish  ship,  which  also  had  felt  the  earthquake :  from  the  pilots  of 
this  vessel  the  Portuguese  learned  that  they  were  near  Dio,  and  would 
reach  it  in  three  days.  Gama  gave  orders  to  make  for  Dio,  and  as  they 
sailed  for  six  days  without  reaching  land  the  crews  became  terrified, 
saying  that  the  land  had  been  swallowed  up  by  the  earthquake.  The 
reason  for  believing  this  was  an  opinion  which  they  had  brought  from 
the  kingdom,  authorised  by  severalastrologers  of  Europe,  who  affirmed 
that  in  this  year  of  1524  there  was  a  conjunction  of  all  the  planets  in 
the  house  of  Piscis,  which  prognosticated  an  almost  general  deluge,  or 
at  least  of  a  large  part  of  the  earth,  chiefly  near  the  coast.  This  opinion 
gained  ground  so  much  that  there  were  noble  persons  in  this  kingdom 
(Portugal)  who  ordered  shelter  to  be  prepared  for  them  with  stores  of 
biscuit  in  high  mountains.  According  as  Alberto  Pighio  Campeusis  re- 
lates in  his  learned  treatise  against  this  opinion,  some  people  in  his 
country,  from  the  belief  they  had  in  it,  neglected  business  of  great  im- 
portance. However,  with  all  this  belief  on  the  part  of  Alberto's  people, 
we  know  that  our  people  did  not  desist  from  their  pleasures  and  vices. 
It  seems  that  these  prophets  of  astrology  were  not  sent  by  God  like  the 
prophet  Jonah  to  the  Ninevites,  who  repented  from  fear  of  God ;  but 
these  others  feared  death  more  than  Him :  for  those  put  on  sackcloth, 
prayed,  and  fasted  three  days  with  all  their  soul,  praying  for  the  pardon 


384  GAMA   ARRIVES   AT    CHAUL. 

landj  and  when  it  was  recognised,  with  the  sea-breeze  they 
stood  for  Chaul,  where  they  anchored,]  and  Simao  d'Andrade 
at  once  went  to  visit  the  ship.  The  Viceroy  did  him  great 
honour,  and  gave  to  him  and  to  all  the  captains  of  the  fleet 
large  presents  of  refreshments,  because  he  was  very  grand 

of  God  for  their  sins;  but  the  Mnevites  of  our  time,  who  had  baptism, 
made  provision  of  biscuit  and  other  victuals  to  ensure  their  lives,  with- 
out preparing  their  souls  against  what  it  might  please  God  to  do  with 
them.  So  from  this  opinion  which  the  crews  held  (or  rather  fable  of 
ignorant  astrologers,  since  the  year  was  faulty  in  being  dry  more  than 
stormy),  they  were  so  terrified  at  the  preceding  signs  that  the  admiral 
decided  on  again  questioning  the  Moorish  pilot  why  he  had  misled  him 
as  to  the  time  which  he  had  fixed  for  seeing  land.  He  replied  that  if 
his  lordship  had  ordered  to  steer  as  he  had  said  they  would  already  have 
sighted  the  coast  of  Dio,  but  as 'he  had  put  the  ship's  head  for  Chaul 
they  had  run  by  the  other  coast,  and  that  by  his  reckoning  by  this 
course  they  ought  to  sight  Chaul  next  day.  Although  it  was  not  so, 
they  sighted  Ba^aim,  which  is  six  leagues  north  of  Chaul,  and  the  next 
day,  which  was  the  fifth  of  September,  the  admiral  anchored  in  the  port 
of  Chaul.     (Dec.  iii,  lib.  ix,  cap.  1.) 

Here  there  is  an  error  in  the  dates,  and  Barros  contradicts  himself, 
for  he  says  the  earthquake  happened  on  the  7th  September,  after  which 
there  were  eight  days'  navigation,  which  would  bring  the  fleet  to  Chaul 
on  the  15th  September :  the  date  of  the  fifth  can  hardly  be  a  misprint 
for  the  fifteenth,  since  Barros  says  Gama  left  Chaul  on  the  12th. 

San  Roman  says  the  earthquake  happened  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth 
September.  Castanheda  mentions  the  earthquake  on  the  6th  September, 
near  the  coast  of  India.  \ 

>  Barros  says  that  in  Chaul,  Vasco  da  Gama  took  the  title  of  Viceroy 
as  he  had  been  ordered  by  the  King  to  take  it  in  the  first  fortress  of 
India  which  he  reached :  in  which  the  King  followed  the  example^  of  his 
father  D.  Manuel  when  he  sent  Francisco  d' Almeida  to  those  parts. 
Castanheda  says  that  Gama  published  his  commission  in  Chaul,  as  the 
King  had  ordered,  and  that  he  remained  there  tbree  days  at  anchor 
without  landing,  nor  allowing  any  one  to  land,  except  Joan  Soyro,  the 
auditor-general,  and  Sebastian  Luis,  the  secretary  of  Cochym,  whom  he 
ordered  to  visit,  in  his  name,  the  fortress  of  Chaul,  and  to  publish  that 
all  the  soldiers  who  were  unmarried  or  who  did  not  belong  to  the  local 
garrison  were  to  embark  at  once  and  follow  the  Viceroy.  He  also  ordered 
Christopher  de  Sousa,  the  captain  of  the  fort,  that  if  Duarte  de  Meneses 
arrived  he  was  not  to  allow  him  to  land,  nor  give  him  provisions  for 
more  than  four  days. 


GAMA  ASSUMES  THE  GOVERNMENT.  385 

and  liberal  in  his  expenditure.  There  the  Viceroy  at  once 
appointed  Christovao  de  Sousa  as  captain  of  the  fortress, 
according  to  instruction  from  the  Bang.  The  Viceroy  also 
made  appointments  in  all  posts,  high  and  low,  because  he 
had  instructions  to  make  appointments  for  everything 
wherever  he  arrived,  without  waiting  for  the  governor, 
Dom  Duarte  [de  Meneses] ,  to  give  m  his  accounts,  since 
the  King  was  very  indignant  with  him  for  his  evil  deeds. 
The  Viceroy  gave  a  written  instruction  to  Christovao  de 
Sousa,  that  if  the  governor  should  come  thither,  he  should 
do  nothing  that  he  might  command  him,  and  not  to  fulfil 
anything  of  what  he  might  find  to  have  been  commanded  by 
him.  Having  disposed  of  matters  as  was  fitting  in  Chaul, 
he  went  to  Goa,^  where  the  city  gave  him  a  great  reception 

•  The  following  is  a  tfanslation  of  a  letter  fi-om  the  Chamber  of  Goa 
announcing  the  arrival  of  Vasco  da  Gama  at  Goa  on  the  23rd  September, 
1524,  the  text  of  which  is  given  in  the  Appendix,  p.  x. 

"  Through  Luis  Fernandez  Colazo,  whom  we  had  sent  as  our  agent  to 
Your  Highness,  we  received  the  answer  to  the  letters  which  he  conveyed 
from  this  city,  and  also  the  confirmation  of  our  privileges,  with  the 
settlement  of  regulations,  and  also  the  sanction  of  appointments  to 
oflSces,  all  despatched  satisfactorily  as  we  desired,  and  for  all  this  we  kiss 
the  hands  of  Your  Highness ;  and  we  cannot  deny  that  the  love  and  good 
will  which  the  King  your  father  (may  he  be  in  holy  glory !)  had  for  this 
city  and  its  inhabitants  is  not  forgotten,  according  as  we  see  by  the 
many  favours  which  you  grant  us,  both  in  despatching  our  business,  and 
in  all  the  rest  which  for  our  part  we  have  requested :  and  for  ever  we 
and  our  sons  will  beseech  and  pray  the  Lord  God  to  increase  the  days 
and  royal  state  of  Your  Highness  for  His  service. 

"The  Count  of  Vidigueira  arrived  at  this  city  on  the  23rd  day  of  Sep- 
tember of  the  present  year  with  nine  ships;  they  say  that  five  are  want- 
ing of  the  number  of  those  that  set  sail  with  him.  It  seems  to  us  that 
he  comes  with  good  designs,  and  desirous  to  serve  Your  Highness,  and 
to  do  justice  to  suitors,  which  is  very  requisite  for  this  country;  from 
what  we  have  seen  in  this  city,  and  from  what  he  did  in  the  few  days 
that  he  remained  in  it  in  redressing  the  injuries  of  many  persons,  and 
rectifying  faults  which  had  been  committed  against  your  revenue.  He 
was  received  by  us  in  this  city  with  that  honour  which  those  deserve 
who  love  justice,  and  fulfil  your  commands.  We  presented  to  him  our 
privileges  and  liberties,  to  all  which  he  says  he  will  have  regard  as  they 


38G  LKTTER    OF    THE    CHAMBER 

with  festivities  and  a  rich  canopy,  and  a  harangue,  and  they 
bore  him  in  procession  to  the  cathedral ;  and  they  conveyed 

have  been  granted  us  by  Your  Highness ;  on  account  of  the  short  time 
that  he  remained  in  tliis  city,  he  could  not  despatch  some  matters  which 
wc  brought  before  him,  and  because  the  time  drew  nigh  for  getting 
ready  the  pepper  cargo,  neither  wouhl  he  take  cognisance  of  many 
m.atters  which  remain  until  his  return,  and  according  as  things  hapjien 
here,  it  is  not  fitting  for  him  to  repose  in  tlie  midst  of  what  he  is  cliarged 
with,  as  we  have  seen. 

"  Many  persons  went  to  him  with  offerings  such  as  it  is  customary  to 
make  to  governors  when  they  are  newly  arrived;  he  would  not  take  any- 
thing from  Christian  or  ]Moor,  and  still  less  from  this  city,  which  wc 
all  look  upon  as  extraordinary,  as  it  is  the  custom  for  all  to  be  accepted. 
He  left  as  captain  in  tliis  city  Dom  Anrique  de  IVIeneses,  as  D.  Fernando 
had  not  come,  who  it  is  said  is  coming  as  captain :  we  cannot  say  any- 
thing besides  what  should  be  said  of  a  good  gentleman,  and  we  are 
treated  by  him  as  is  reasonable  and  just,  and  according  to  wiuit  Your 
Highness  commands  and  recommends. 

"  In  all  the  letters  which  we  have  written  to  Your  Highness  we  have 
given  an  account  of  this  city  and  of  its  noble  foundation,  and  of  the 
Portuguese  inhabitants  who  dwell  in  it  with  their  wives  and  chiUlren, 
and  now  it  seems  right  that  wc  sliould  do  so  in  tliis  letter.    It  scorns  that 

f     (  the  Portuguese  who  at  present  are  married  and  established  will  be  four 
i  hundred  and  fifty,  and  it  cannot  with  certainty  be  said  how  many  they 

'  '  are,  as  they  are  scattered  about  in  many  parts,  and  of  those  we  know  of 
many  are  gentlemen,  and  knights,  and  squires,  servaTits  of  yours,  and 
other  persons  of  nmch  desert,  who  have  rendered  nuicii  service  to  Your 
Highness,  both  in  these  parts  and  in  others  of  your  realms ;  these  iiave 
got  sons  and  daughters  to  marry,  and  some  of  them  already  married  in 
this  city :  and  since  it  is  thus  ordained  by  God  that  we  are  to  leave  our 
native  countries  to  i)eo})le  this  land,  we  beg  Your  Highness  to  bear  in 
mind  our  services,  and  those  which  it  is  hoped  that  our  sons  will  perform. 
"With  regard  to  some  works  which  have  been  executed  in  this  city, 
the  chief  one  is  the  monastery  of  St.  Francis,  wliieh  we  may  say  has 
been  completed,  and  it  is  s;iid  to  be  one  of  the  best  houses  to  be  found 
in  your  realms,  both  for  its  good  monks,  and  for  its  other  works;  and  in 
the  next  place  a  liospital  whit^h  Francisco  Pereira  built  close  to  tlie  gate 
of  St.  Catharine  of  this  city,  and  excejjting  that  of  Lisbon  we  know  of 
no  other  better,  it  is  a  great  comfort  to  the  siek,  with  the  good  manage- 
ment which  it  lias ;  and  it  was  very  necessary  that  it  should  have  been 
built,  on  account  of  tlie  many  sick  who  arrived  with  this  licet  of  the 
Count. 

"There  has  atso  been  made  a  stono  quay  on  th(<  sea  at  th(>  strand-gate, 


\/ 


OF  GK)A  TO  THE  KINO  OF  PORTUGAL.         387 

him  with  rejoicings  to  the  fortress,  which  Francisco  Pereira- 
had  kept  in  very  good  order,  and  he  had  gone  to  visit  the  vice- 

and  this  was  by  the  orders  of  Francisco  Pereira  ;  it  is  a  great  embellish- 
ment of  the  city,  as  it  is  a  very  good  work,  and  galleys,  and  fuataa,  and 
other  small  vessels  come  alongside  of  it  to  discharge  cargo,  and  take  in 
what  they  want :  there  are  some  other  works  which  are  not  more  near 
completion  than  they  were  before,  and  the  others  which  Francisco 
Pereira  executed  during  the  time  that  he  was  captain  here,  Your  High- 
ness will  already  know  of. 

"  We  reminded  the  Count  of  the  repairs  of  the  walls  of  this  city ;  he 
took  much  pleasure  at  this,  and  looked*  to  it,  and  ordered  D.  Anrique 
our  captain  to  commence  facing  it,  we  beg  Your  Highness  to  give 
further  orders  to  undertake  this  and  make  the  necessary  repairs,  because  it 
is  not  for  your  service  that  it  should  remain  thus. 

"  With  regard  to  the  building  of  the  houses  which  the  inhabitants 
have  made,  they  are  good,  and  every  day  they  build  some,  and  within 
the  circuit  of  the  city  there  is  no  imoccupied  ground,  nor  can  the 
married  people  be  contained  within  it,  and  many  live  outside  in  the 
suburbs,  being  unable  to  do  anything  else,  as  they  are  very  poor. 

"  The  mainland  which  Ruy  de  Melo,  who  was  captain  of  this  city, 
conquered,  was  entered  by  the  Moors,  who  used  to  possess  it,  in  the 
month  of  April  of  five  hundred  and  twenty-four,  and  they  hold  it  as 
theirs,  and  the  first  Tanadar's  district  which  they  took  was  that  of 
Perna,  which  is  by  the  seaside :  there  they  captured  two  Portuguese, 
and  one  of  them  was  the  Tanadar ;  these  are  prisoners  in  the  fortress  of 
Bylgan,  of  which  the  Suffilarim  is  captain.  We  do  not  judge  to  whom 
should  be  given  the  blame  for  losing  this  land,  but  Dom  Duarte,  who 
was  the  governor  in  these  parts,  was  at  the  bar  of  this  city  with  a  fleet 
ready  to  sail  for  Ormuz,  and  he  was  asked  to  give  succour,  and  told 
that  with  few  men  he  could  cast  out  the  Moors  from  the  country :  he 
answered  that  he  could  not  do  it,  as  he  was  on  a  voyage  ;  and  that  even 
if  Goa  should  be  lost,  he  would  not  desist  from  going  to  Ormuz,  which 
was  little  necessary  for  what  was  fitting  for  your  service.  His  brother, 
Dom  Luis  de  Meneses,  was  also  at  that  time  in  this  city,  and  he  went 
to  winter  in  Cochym,  and  he  carried  away  all  the  men  whom  he  could, 
and  as  it  was  the  beginning  of  winter  the  Moors  increased  in  numbers 
and  got  possession  of  the  country ;  nevertheless,  Francisco  Pereira 
crossed  over  the  river  with  what  men  he  had  in  the  city,  who  were  very 
few,  and  for  all  that,  he  could  do  nothing  more  there  than  abandon  the 
coimtry. 

"  The  horses  which  came  this  year  from  Ormuz  to  this  city  were  one 
thousand  three  hundred  and  forty-three,  besides  thirty-six  that  died, 
and  the  reason  that  more  did  not  come  was  the  insurrection   which 


388  LETTKR    OF    THK    CIIAMUKR 

roy  at  the  bar,  and  accompanied  him.  The  viceroy,  on  entei'- 
ing  the  fortress,  said  to  him  :  "  Scnhor  Francisco  Pereira,  I 

happened  in  Ornmz  this  yciir.    It  seems  to  us  more  will  come,  on  account 
of  the  trade  of  Ormuz  haviny  been  establislied  Avith  the  merchants. 

"  As  soon  as  tlie  Count  arrived  at  this  city,  among  other  things 
which  we  requested  of  him,  on  behalf  of  the  city  and  its  inhabitants, 
we  presented  to  liim  some  minutes,  which  were  made  in  the  Cliamber 
with  tiie  concurrence  of  all  the  people:  in  these  we  seek  redress  from 
him  for  some  disputes  and  injuries  which  were  done  by  Francisco 
Pereira,  our  captain,  to  several  inhabitants  of  this  city  ;  and  not  so 
much  for  what  touched  their  persons,  as  each  one  could  make  his 
complaint  for  himself,  but  for  wliat  concerned  the  ]irivileges  and  liber- 
tics  which  were  given  us  by  the  King  your  father  (may  he  be  in  glory), 
and  now  have  been  newly  confirmed  by  Your  Highness  ;  for  [his  conduct] 
was  in  a  great  measure  in  opposition  to  these,  such  as  putting  many  of  the 
citizens  into  prison  in  irons  without  reason,  and  without  charge  or 
inquiry  held  upon  them,  in  which  he  went  Jigainst  our  said  privileges, 
and  after  that,  in  ordering  their  houses  to  be  taken  from  some  of  the 
inhabitants  to  lodge  other  persons  in  them,  turning  out  of  tlu'm  their 
wives  and  children,  in  wiiich  he  acted  against  tlie  said  privileges  ;  and 
this  also  in  ordering  all  the  provisions  which  came  to  this  city  to  cross 
the  wharves  in  order  to  lade  his  ships,  and  again  sell  them  in  tliis  city, 
and  in  giving  offices  which  Your  Highness  had  granted  to  us,  to  single 
men,  as  ha|)pened  with  the  port  of  entrance  of  Manuel  de  Sanqmyo, 
which  was  vacant.  It  was  also  contrary  to  the  said  privileges  his 
ordering  to  put  in  prison  the  ordinary  judges  who  by  election  are 
appointed  with  tlieir  staves,  and  he  ordered  the  solicitor  of  the  city  to 
be  put  into  i)rison  in  irons  for  re(puring  what  his  olliee  made  requi- 
site ;  and  he  took  away  the  staves  of  some  of  the  insi)ectors  of  the 
markets  and  had  them  broken  in  pieces  ;  and  tlie  fines  of  the  market 
which  were  decided  by  tlie  inspectors  of  weights  and  measures,  he  did 
not  choose  that  they  should  be  conveyed  to  the  C'liamber,  by  which  the 
city  suffered  loss.  There  were  other  things  contained  in  the  said  mi- 
nutes, which  we  drew  up  that  the  Count  might  see  them,  and  act  in  this 
as  he  thought  most  fit  for  your  service.  Tliese  he  saw,  and  being  on 
the  way  to  Coehyiu,  he  could  not  inquire  more  into  this,  and  he  com- 
mitted all  to  Uom  Anrique,  our  captain  ;  and  ujion  the  said  minutes  a 
process  was  instituted,  and  according  to  its  nature  great  expenses  were 
icaused  to  the  people  of  this  city,  ui)on  which  we  held  a  Chamber,  and 
all  the  people  were  summoned  by  procliimation  ;  and  it  was  agreed  upon 
by  all,  that  the  said  minutes  had  not  been  given  to  the  Count  in  order 
that  claims  should  bo  made  by  law,  and  that  men  should  waste  tlieir 
property  [sueing]  with  Francisco  Pereira,  but  only  in  order  that  he, 


OF  GOA  TO  THE  KINO  OP  POETUOAL.         389 

should  wish  to  find  all  your  aflfairs  kept  thus  in  as  good  order 
as  these  buildingfs."     Because  he  brought  a  memorandum 

through  the  powers  which  he  brings  from  Your  Highness,  should  take 
measures  in  this  matter  according  as  might  be  for  your  service ;  and 
that  we  should  write  this  same  to  Your  Highness  respecting  the  said 
minutes,  in  what  concerned  the  privileges  of  this  city,  since  we  felt  ag- 
grieved in  what  had  been  done  in  opposition  to  them,  in  what  has 
been  siaid,  not  only  in  the  special  matter,  but  in  general,  as  is  notorious ; 
and  since  we  saw  that  the  decision  of  these  affairs  was  postponed,  and 
that  Francisco  Pereira  had  cast  suppicion  upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  this 
city,  both  upon  the  officers  of  justice  and  upon  other  persons,  and  that 
this  suspicion  gained  credence,  we  desist  from  saying  more  of  the  said 
minutes,  and  of  the  opinion  of  the  people ;  and  we  inform  Your  High- 
ness of  it,  and  petition  you  in  respect  to  Francisco  Pereira's  going 
against  our  privileges,  to  preserve  entire  justice  towards  us,  and  to 
command  that  the  truth  may  be  ascertained  by  persons  free  from  suspi- 
cion :  for  it  cannot  be  but  that  among  five  hundred  inhabitants  that  are 
in  this  city,  there  should  not  be  twenty,  of  whom  there  is  no  suspicion, 
and  who  are  not  ill  disposed  to  Francisco  Pereira ;  because  we  hope  to 
prove  completely  that  he  has  acted  against  the  said  privileges  in  what 
has  been  mentioned,  and  he  gives  as  an  excuse  that  we  did  not  notify 
them  to  him,  when  the  fortress  of  this  city  was  handed  over  to  him  by 
Kui  de  Mello.  At  that  time  they  were  read  and  notified  to  him  by  the 
officers  of  the  Chamber,  and  he  swore  upon  the  Holy  Gospels  to  comply 
with  them,  and  he  signed  the  oath  at  the  foot  of  the  book  of  the 
Chamber,  as  will  be  seen. 

"  Your  Highness  has  granted  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  city  the  favour 
that  the  offices  both  of  your  treasury  and  of  justice  should  be  held  among 
them  for  three  years,  and  by  those  persons  who  were  capable,  as  is  stated 
more  at  length  in  the  letter  granting  the  said  offices ;  and  as  we  see  that 
of  these  who  have  to  be  in  office  for  three  years,  some  persons  since  your 
letter  hold  them  for  their  lives,  we  are  aggrieved  in  this  ;  also  as  Crysua, 
who  holds  four  offices,  and  Pero  Gdo.  three,  and  in  other  cases  each  one 
has  his,  which  we  do  not  name,  we  petition  Your  Highness  that  no  office 
be  granted  for  life,  but  only  for  three  years  at  a  time,  for  there  do  not 
remain  besides  any  more  than  seven  or  eight  offices,  and  of  these  we  take 
whatever  they  give  us,  up  to  the  present  time.  So  we  petition  Yoiur 
Highness  to  be  pleased  that  of  these  offices  which  may  have  to  be  pro- 
vided for  by  the  governor  or  captain  of  the  fort,  the  presentation  of 
persons  for  them  may  be  by  the  Chamber,  so  that  all  may  have  part  in 
the  favour  which  is  granted  them  by  Your  Highness,  for  it  happens 
frequently  that  the  offices  are  given  more  from  partisanship  than  from 
merit. 


390  PROCEEDINGS    AGAINST 

against  him  of  grave  accusations  whicli  had  reached  the 
King  concerning  him.  Immediately^  on  the  next  day,  he 
put  Dom  Anrique  de  Meneses  in  the  captaincy,  and  the 
people  of  the  country  seeing  that  Francisco  Pereira  was 
already  turned  out  of  the  post  of  captain,  there  came  at 
once  to  the  viceroy  great  complaints  of  great  evil  doings, 
which  the  viceroy  already  brought  written  down ;  on  which 
account  the  viceroy  heard  a  great  deal  against  him,  for  he 
had  instructions  to  observe  strict  justice  in  all  matters.^  He 
made  Francisco  Pereira  pay  much  money,  without  demands 
nor  citations,  because  he  heard  the  parties  verbally,  and  he 
condemned  him  to  pay,  for  he  already  knew  the  evil  deeds 
done  by  Francisco  Pereira,  which  had  been  reported  to  the 
kingdom  by  certified  inquiries.  For  he  was  so  bold  a  man, 
and  conducted  himself  so  ill  with  the  people,  that  the  chief 
men  of  the  city  had  been  near  rising  up  and  deposing  him 
from  the  post  of  captain,  and  for  that  reason  they  concerted 
and  drew  up  a  statement  with  many  counts  to  be  given  to 


"  With  respect  to  some  offices  which  ought  to  be  appointed  for  life,  wc 
have  already  written  upon  that  matter  to  Your  Highness,  as  it  seems  to 
us  to  be  for  the  service  of  God  and  for  youi-s  :  such  as  are  the  notaries, 
of  deeds,  of  justice,  and  of  tlie  Chamber,  because  tlicse  are  appointments 
which  it  is  not  well  that  they  should  run  for  three  ycai^,  and  not  for  the 
lives  of  the  persons  who  are  to  serve  them  ;  and  the  notaries  of  deeds 
whom  Your  Highness  sends,  let  them  be  given  for  life,  and  so  it  will  be 
done.  By  the  fleets  which  went  from  here  in  the  time  of  Dom  Duartc, 
we  have  written  at  length  to  your  Highness  many  things  about  this  city 
and  also  about  India,  and  it  seems  to  us  unnecessary  to  write  more  in 
this,  since  the  things  which  have  been  done  cannot  be  hid.  ]\Iay  it 
please  the  Lord  God  to  increase  the  days  and  royal  state  of  Your  High- 
ness for  His  service.  Written  in  the  Chamber  of  the  said  city  of  (ioa  on 
the  last  day  of  October.     Luis  Alvarez  did  it.     Year  of  1.'521. 

"  Christovam  Affonso,  Diogo  Y",  Payo  Rodriguez,  Tero  Gonzalez." 
*  Barros  says  the  chief  thing  the  Viceroy  did  in  Goa  was  to  inquire 
into  the  affairs  of  Francisco  Pereira  Pestana,  the  captain  of  the  city, 
against  whom  there  were  some  complaints,  as  ho  was  a  man  of  a  harsh 
disposition  ;  and  they  were  such  that  he  deprived  him  of  his  captaincy, 
and  put  into  it  D.  Henrique  de  Meneses. 


FRANCISCO    l^EREIRA    I'ESTANA.  391 

tlie  governor,  and  to  be  sent  to  the  King  witli  the  legal  re- 
presentative of  the  city  to  pray  for  justice  ;  in  this  wore 
stated  many  veiy  shameful  things,  worthy  of  severe  chas- 
tisen}ent.  This  business  was  concerted  by  eighteen  house- 
holders, chief  men  of  Goa,  and  witnesses  were  named,  l^liis 
minute,  thus  drawn  up,  was  shewn  to  the  bishop,  Dora  Mar- 
tinho,  who  was  in  Goa,  and  was  lying  ill  in  bed  when  the 
viceroy  arrived,  and  on  that  account  did  not  go  to  receive 
him  with  the  procession ;  he,  on  seeing  the  statement,  saw 
that  it  was  all  true ;  and  they  wished  to  elect  the  bishop  as 
captain  until  the  governor  should  come,  but  the  bishop  was 
virtuous,  and  would  not  consent  to  it,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
turned  them  aside  from  the  Avhole  matter.  Since  doubt 
arose  amongst  them  that  this  might  be  discovered,  all  of 
their  free  will  took  oath  upon  a  missal  book  in  the  hands  of 
the  bishop,  never  to  discover  this  matter,  and  that  all  of 
them  would  kill  whoever  disclosed  it. 

When  they  were  all  outside  the  house,  there  was  one  who 
at  once  turned  Judas,  and  disclosed  everything  to  Francisco 
Pereii'a,  upon  which  he  played  the  devil  with  some  whom 
he  laid  hands  upon,  and  imprisoned  them  narrowly,  and  de- 
stroyed their  property,  and  ordered  their  houses  to  be  pulled 
down,  and  themselves  proclaimed  as  traitors.  He  went  to 
the  house  of  the  bishop  and  spoke  to  him  outrageous  words, 
saying  that  he  was  a  harbourer  of  traitors  ;  and  he  took  the 
property  of  all,  as  forfeited  to  the  King,  and  made  it  over  to 
the  factory,  and  ordered  it  to  be  expended  in  building  a  hospi- 
tal for  the  sick ;  so  that  was  built,  which  now  stands  at  the 
gate  of  St,  Catharine.  The  Viceroy  would  not  hear  of  any- 
thing, but  only  ordered  the  payment  of  whatever  was  de- 
manded from  Francisco  Pereira.  He,  seeing  himself  so 
persecuted  that  he  was  ordered  to  pay  everything  only  upon 
the  oath  of  the  claimant,  said  to  the  Viceroy — "  Sir,  now 
that  they  rob  rae  of  my  property,  demanding  from  me  that 
which  I  do  not  owe,  I  beg  of  your  lordship  not  to  order  the 


392  MEASURES    TAKEN 

oath  to  be  administered  to  anyone,  but  that  as  much  as 
they  may  claim  fz'om  me  may  be  freely  paid,  and  I  will  send 
to  proclaim  that  whoever  desires  the  money  of  Francisco 
Pereira  may  come  and  ask  for  it."^  The  Viceroy  became 
very  angry,  and  said  to  him  :  "  When  you  took  that  which 
was  not  yours,  why  did  you  not  choose  that  it  should  be 
judged  by  means  of  the  administration  of  justice?  and  since 
these  things  were  so,  it  is  not  well  that  you  should  meet  with 
justice,  since  you  did  not  observe  it;  but  in  order  to  dis- 
charge your  conscience,  I  will  order  it  to  be  proclaimed 
that  whosoever  you  may  owe  money  or  property  to  may  come 
without  fear  to  demand  it,  and  it  shall  be  paid  to  him:  and 
I  will  not  hear  of  criminal  matters  until  the  fit  time  for  it/'^ 
The  Viceroy  commanded  the  doctor  of  the  hospital  not  to 
take  in  any  sick  person  unless  he  were  afflicted  with  sores 
or  wounds ;  and  as  the  sick  men  who  arrived  in  the  ships 
clamoured  on  account  of  this,  and  it  was  reported  to  him, 
he  answered  that  he  knew  of  a  remedy  with  which  they 
would  at  once  become  sound ;  and  he  ordered  it  to  be  pro- 
claimed that  in  three  days  from  that  time  the  shares  would 
be  paid  of  a  rich  ship  which  he  had  taken  coming  from 
Chaul,^  and  which  was  coming  from  Mecca,  in  which  one 

^  Castanheda  relates  this,  and  adds :  "  By  this  means  Fereira  acquitted 
himself  of  his  debts  through  the  prudence  of  the  Viceroy,  who  took 
good  care  that  each  man  got  his  rights  and  nothing  more." 

2  Francisco  Pereira  Testana  left  Lisbon  to  come  out  to  India  in  April 
1508  as  captain  of  the  Lionarda^  with  the  appointment  of  captain  of 
the  fort  at  Quiloa.  (Correa,  i,  p.  88G  ;  Osorio,  v.)  The  last  time 
Correa  mentions  him  is  in  February  1526,  when,  after  the  death  of  the 
governor  Anriquc  de  Meneses,  Pero  Mascarenhas,  captain  of  Malacca, 
was  found  to  be  the  first  named  in  the  succession  to  tlie  governorship ; 
and  those  who  expected  to  be  the  next  named  were  D.  Simao  de 
Meneses,  Heytor  da  Silveira,  Francisco  Pereira  Pestana^  Joao  da  Silveira, 
and  Lopo  Vaz  de  Sampayo.  This  latter  was  the  one  actually  named, 
and  he  held  the  government  till  Pero  Mascarenhas  arrived.  The  men- 
tion made  of  Pereira  in  1525  by  Correa  is  more  favourable  to  him  than 
what  is  mentioned  during  Vasco  da  Gama's  viceroyalty. 

'  Barro3  mentions  the  capture  of  a  Moorish  ship,  probably  the  same, 


BY    VASCO    DA    OAMA    AT    GOA.  393 

liuudrcd  thousand  sorafins  had  been  found  in  gold,  and  two 
hundred  thousand  in  merchandise  and  slaves.  He  appointed 
as  factor  and  distributor  of  this  Fernan  Martins  Avangelho, 
and  Bastian  Luiz,  clerk  of  the  seamen's  list,  who  sold  it  all ; 
and  the  whole  was  divided  into  shares,  so  that  nothing  was 
wanting.  All  the  people  flocked  to  this  payment,  and 
many  came  out  of  the  hospital,  and  he  ordered  that  they 
should  not  take  them  in  again,  for  he  was  well  informed 
that  they  took  men  into  the  hospital  out  of  friendship.  He 
also  forbade  that  anyone  who  was  wounded  in  a  brawl 
should  be  taken  to  the  hospital,  saying  that  they  brawled 
on  account  of  women,  and  for  that  reason  were  not  to  be 
cured  in  the  hospital.  He  gave  strict  orders  against  the 
ships'  crews  coming  on  shore,  and  that  they  were  to  re- 
main on  board  the  ships,  whei'e  they  would  receive  their 
victuals.  The  auditor-general,  Joao  do  Soyro,  who  had 
come  with  him,  remained  on  guard  over  the  ships  at  the  bar. 
The  Viceroy  had  it  proclaimed  that  every  man  should  go 
to  Cochym  to  be  eni'olled,  because  all  those  who  did  not  go 
thither  should  remain  without  pay  :  and  he  did  this  also  in 
Chaul,  where  the  people  remained  according  to  the  list  and 
roll  which  he  gave  out,  and  so  he  did  in  Goa.  In  order  that 
the  ships  might  not  be  detained,  he  did  not  consent  to  their 
disembarking  anything  in  Groa,  which  caused  great  losses  to 
the  shipping-agents,  and  was  the  cause  of  his  giving  them 
later  shipments  gratis  for  Goa  in  the  King's  ships,  because 
he  attended  very  much  to  administering  strict  justice.  When 
the  Viceroy  was  at  Belem,  before  setting  sail,  knowing  how 

before  Gama  reached  Chaul.  It  was  bound  from  the  Red  Sea  to  Cam- 
bay,  and  was  boarded  first  by  D.  Jorge  de  Meneses.  Gama,  after  hear- 
ing from  its  captain,  master,  and  pilot  what  goods  they  carried,  put  on 
board  of  her  Tristao  d'Ataide,  his  brother-in-law,  and  Fernao  IMartins 
Evangelho,  and  when  taken  to  Chaul  the  goods  on  board  were  valued  at 
sixty  thousand  cruzados.  Castanheda  says  the  money  taken  amounted 
to  sixty  thousand  cruzados,  and  the  merchandise  two  hundred  thousand 
more. 


394  THREE    WOMEN    FLOaOED 

great  inconveniences  resulted  from  men  bringing  women  in 
the  ships,  both  on  account  of  their  souls  and  on  account  of 
plots  and  brawls,  in  order  not  to  give  rise  to  these  evils,  he 
ordered  it  to  be  proclaimed  on  shore,  and  on  board  the 
ships,  and  his  orders  were  posted  at  the  foot  of  the  masts, 
that  any  woman  who  should  be  found  in  the  ships  outside 
of  Belem,  should  be  publicly  scourged,  even  though  she 
were  a  married  woman,  and  her  husband  should  be  sent 
back  to  Portugal  loaded  with  fetters ;  and  should  she  be  a 
slave  and  a  captive  she  should  be  confiscated'  for  the  ransom 
of  captives  :  and  the  captain  who  should  find  a  woman  in 
his  ship  and  not  give  her  up  should  for  that  lose  his  com- 
mission.- He  ordered  the  auditor  to  draw  up  an  act  of 
these  proclamations  :  and  when  the  ships  reached  Mozam- 
bique, three  women  were  denounced  to  him,  and  he  ordered 
them  to  be  taken  up,  and  here  in  Goa  he  ordered  them 
to  be  scourged,  all  three  together,  with  the  proclama- 
tion by  the  crier  of — "^'The  justice  of  the  King  our  sovereign ! 
it  orders  these  women  to  be  flogged,  because  they  had  no 
fear  of  his  justice,  and  ci'ossed  over  to  India  in  spite  of  bis 
prohibition." 

All  the  gentlemen,  and  the  bishop,  and  the  friars,  and 
the  brothers  of  mercy  interceded  on  behalf  of  these  women, 
and  good  men  offered  three  thousand  pardaos  for  the  ransom 
of  captives,  which  the  Viceroy  would  not  listen  to  at  all.  On 
the  next  daj^,  when  they  were  to  be  brought  out  to  be 
flogged,  the  brothers  of  mercy  and  the  Franciscan  friars 
came  with  a  crucifix  to  beg  for  the  women  to  be  given  up  to 
thom.  This  being  told  to  Vasca  da  Gama,  he  sent  them 
word  to  take  back  the  crucifix  at  once  to  the  altar,  and  then 
he  would  listen  to  them.  This  they  did.  Then  he  spoke  to 
them,  and  told  them  not  to  let  such  a  thing  happen  to  them 
again,  because  to  come  to  his  house  with  a  crucifix,  through 
the  streets  where  there  were  so  many  people,  was  a  kind  of 
'  Perdida.  ^  Ordenado. 


FOR    COMING    OUT    IN    THE    FLEET.  395 

conspiracy,  and  done  to  show  the  people  that  he  was  cruel  and 
pitiless,  and  that  they  should  not  do  this  to  him  again. 
Tliey  entreated  him  earnestly  to  pai'don,^  because  if  he  did 
not  carry  out  the  execution  of  these  women  who  had  con- 
temned his  justice,  men  would  act  much  better,  confiding  in 
that  he  would  pardon  their  evil  doings.  This  he  would  not 
do  for  anything  in  the  world,  and  of  this  he  took  his  oath, 
and  promised  that  he  would  execute  strict  justice,  without 
any  pardon,  on  those  who  fell  into  his  hands  ;  and  this  he 
notified  to  all  persons  who  might  do  evil  in  his  time,  that 
they  should  suffer  his  strict  chastisement,  without  his  dimin- 
ishing or  pardoning  anything ;  for  as  to  the  man  who  did 
evil,  he  would  take  all_his  property,  and  he  would  give 
it  as  a  reward  to  whoever  delivered  him  into  his  hands, 
and  he  would  order  thena  to  be  slain  inside  the  Balagate ; 
and  it  might  very  well  happen  that  he  would  pardon  some 
people  for  things  which  they  had  already  done,  but  for 
those  things  which  they  did  in  his  time  they  would  find  no 
remedy  in  him,  but  only  the  punishment  of  strict  justice. 
So  he  commanded  that  the  women  should  be  flogged,^ 
saying,  that  he  would  punish  with  rigorous  justice  in  this 
world,  and  that  the  Lord  would  have  mercy  in  the  next  on 
whomsoever  was  deserving  of  it ;  and  that  on  account  of 
the  intention  with  which  he  was  acting,  God  would  give  him 
his  recompense  according  to  his  intention,  for  he  would 
punish  the  bad  with  all  his  power,  in  order  that  the  evils 
wrought  by  those  who  did  not  fear  God  should  not  increase ; 
for,  he  said,  ''never  shall  they  meet  with  anything  from  me 
except  all  severity  and  punishment.^'  The  people  were  much 
scandalised  at  what  happened  to  these  women,  and  judged 

'  Tiie  text  here  appears  to  be  incorrect. 

2  Vasco  da  Gama  sent  them  dowers  from  his  death-bed.  See  further 
on.  San  Roman  mentions  the  flogging  of  two  women  with  two  hundred 
stripes,  according  to  the  proclamation  published  in  Lisbon  against  their 
coming  in  the  fleet  on  account  of  the  many  crimes  committed  in  conse- 
quence. 


oDG  MKASUKES  AND  KEFOUMS 

the  Viceroy  to  be  a  cruel  man ;  but  seeing  such  great  firm- 
ness in  carrying  out  his  will,  they  felt  great  fear,  and  were 
wary,  and  reformed  many  evils  which  existed  in  India,  espe- 
cially among  the  gentlemen  who  were  very  dissolute  and 
evil-doers. 

The  Viceroy  was  very  zealous  for  the  King's  revenue,  and 
used  to  say  that  men  came  to  India  very  poor  and  enriched 
themselves  ;  and  that  he,  if  he  could,  would  make  the  King 
rich,  as  the  greatest  benefit  the  people  could  obtain  was  to 
have  their  King  well  supplied.  He  was  very  ill  disposed 
towards  those  of  the  King's  officers  who  were  rich  ;  and 
those  who  arrived  with  appointments  from  the  King,  before 
giving  them  their  charges,  he  used  to  question  and  examine 
them,  and  if  they  did  not  give  a  good  account  of  them- 
selves, and  shew  themselves  well  fitted  for  the  discharge  of 
their  offices,  he  did  not  commit  them  to  them  ;  and  if  it  was 
an  office  of  clerk,  he  used  to  bid  the  person  write  in  his 
presence,  and  if  he  was  not  a  good  writer  he  did  not  give  it 
to  him,  and  would  say  that  if  a  man  wrote  badly  and  begged 
for  a  clerkship,  it  was  only  for  the  jiurpose  of  evildoing.  He 
did  not  give  appointments  except  to  very  official  people,^  and 
said  that  he  would  not  give  appointments  in  the  King's 
revenue  as  a  reward  for  services  rendered,  because  if  after- 
wards he  should  detect  them  in  robberies  he  should  not 
bring  them  to  justice  ;  and  that  men's  services  should  be 
repaid  with  favours  and  honours,  and  not  with  appointments 
in  which  they  could  gain  money  ;  and  for  this  purpose  he 
had  authority  to  grant  pensions,  and  increase  of  allowances, 
and  honours,  such  as  each  might  deserve.  He  commanded 
it  to  be  proclaimed  that  any  person  in  insurrection  or  who 
had  fled  from  justice,  that  was  going  about  India  before  his 
arrival,  would  be  pardoned  by  him  on  behalf  of  justice  for 
what  he  had  done,  if  he  returned  to  the  service  of  God  and 
the  King  within  three  months ;  and  if  not  they  would  never 
'  A  honicJis  iiuiyto  olticiacs. 


OF    VASCO    DA    GAMA    AT    QOA.  397 

be  pardoned,  in  the  same  manner  as  those  should  never  bo 
pardoned  who  should  commit  evil  after  he  had  arrived  in 
India. 

He  ordered  it  to  be  proclaimed  that,  under  pain  of  death 
and  loss  of  property,  no  one  should  navigate  without  his 
license,  and  that  those  who  owned  ships  should  make  con- 
tracts and  shipments  with  the  King's  factors,  with  the 
papers  that  should  be  requisite,  and  that  without  this  they 
should  not  navigate  ;  and  that  any  man  who  traded  with  the 
property  of  an  officer  of  the  King,  whether  an  officer  of 
justice  or  of  exchequer,  should  lose  his  ship  and  all  his  pro- 
perty to  the  King,  and  should  be  banished  for  ever  to  Por- 
tugal, without  leave  to  return  again  to  India;  because  the 
King  had  need  of  the  trade  of  India,  to  gain  thereby  where- 
with to  pay  the  services  of  the  men  in  India,  and  to  oblige 
them  to  serve  in  the  fleets.  He  ordered  it  to  be  proclaimed 
that  he  gave  permission  to  any  man  to  go  back  to  the  king- 
dom who  did  not  wish  to  continue  in  India,  and  who  did  not 
owe  anything  to  the  King  or  to  justice.  He  took  away  the  pay 
and  rations  from  the  married  men,  who  were  not  to  receive 
them  unless  there  was  a  war  in  which  they  fought,  or  unless 
they  went  aboard  the  fleets.  He  had  an  inquiiy  made  into  the 
peculations  and  robberies  which  the  officers  had  committed 
in  the  revenue  of  the  mainland,  and  ordered  them  all  to  be 
arrested,  and  strict  accounts  to  be  taken  from  them.  He 
had  it  proclaimed  that  no  seafaring  man  should  wear  a  cloak 
except  on  a  Sunday  or  Saint's  day  on  going  to  church,  and 
if  they  did,  that  it  should  be  taken  away  by  the  constables, 
and  they  should  be  put  at  the  pump-break  for  a  day  in  dis- 
grace ;  and  that  every  man  who  drew  pay  as  a  matchlock 
man  should  wear  his  match  fastened  to  his  arm.  He  up- 
braided the  men-at-arms  very  much  for  wearing  cloaks, 
because  with  them  they  did  not  look  like  soldiers.  He  / 
ordered  that  the  slaves  they  might  have  should  be  men  who 
could  assist   in  any  labour,  for  they  were  not  going  to  be 


t 


898  .AIKAStJltKS    OP    GAMA. 

lallowed  to  embark  pages  dressed  out  like  dolls  on  board  the 
King's  ships,  and  grown-up  slaves  going  in  the  fleet  would 
bo  sui)plied  with  the  King's  rations.  He  ordered  it  to  be 
proclaimed,  under  pain  of  death  and  confiscation,  that  any 
person  who  had  got  any  of  the  King's  artillery  should  send 
and  deliver  it  to  the  magazine,  without  any  penalty,  even 
though  he  might  have  stolen  it  anywhere,  and  this  within 
the  space  of  one  month,  after  which  they  would  incur  tho 
penalty.  In  this  manner  much  artillery  was  gathered  in, 
which  was  in  the  possession  of  trading  mercliants,  through 
agreements  with  King's  officers,  who  used  to  deliver  it  up, 
the  King  remaining  a  loser  of  the  powder  and  balls  which 
they  sold. 

Tho  Viceroy  thus  gave  instructions  for  mnny  matters 
which  he  placed  on  a  good  footing  ;  and  he  embarked  for 
Cochym  in  a  new  galliot,^  which  he  found  completed.  Ho 
embarked  with  few  servants,  who  were  not  gentlemen,  fur 
ho  always  rid  himself  of  those,  and  preferi-cd  the  lascars, 
who  conducted  themselves  after  the  manner  of  good  soldiers. 
He  was  accompanied  by  six  fustas,  with  which  he  went 
along  the  shore,  and  the  ships  out  at  sea,  and  he  used  to  go 
up  the  rivers  and  see  how  they  were,  so  as  to  learn  every- 
thing. He  left  orders  with  Dom  Anriquo  that  if  the  governor 
arrived  there  he  was  not  to  allow  him  to  land,  nor  obey  him 

1  Barros  s<ays  of  the  voyage  to  Cochym  that  it  was  full  of  affronts, 
which  were  so  great  for  his  state  and  condition  that  he  made  haste  at 
Cochym  to  take  measures  respecting  them.  On  the  way  he  met  Fran- 
cisco de  Mendoncja  with  eight  sail  guarding  the  coast.  The  Moors  took 
little  account  of  him,  for  as  they  had  swift  vessels,  and  the  Portuguese 
ships  were  large  and  heavy,  they  dealt  with  our  vessels  like  a  light 
horseman  with  a  man-at-arms.  For  which  reason  they  were  so  bold  that 
they  appeared  before  the  Viceroy  during  the  whole  voyage  in  all  direc- 
tions showing  that  they  took  no  heed  of  him  ;  so  at  last  he  sent  his  son 
D.  Estevan  with  some  others  in  boats  to  frighten  them,  and  some  paid 
for  othei-s.  San  Roman  says  the  Moors  showed  on  several  occasions  that 
they  thought  little  of  his  coming,  as  it  seemed  to  them  that  he  knew  more 
as  a  mariner  than  as  a  soldier. 


QAMA    VISITS    CANANOK.  309 

in  anytbiiif?.  As  the  Viceroy  went  thus  running  down  the 
coast,  he  learned  that  the  paraos  of  Calecut  had  factors  in 
the  rivers  of  Mangalor  and  Bacanor,  who  sold  the  plunder 
which  they  took,  and  gave  them  cargo  of  rice,  which  they 
carried  to  Calecut.  He  ordered  the  bars  of  these  rivers  to 
be  taken  possession  of,  and  placed  there  Jeronymo  de  Sousa 
and  Manuel  de  Macedo,  with  vessels  for  that  purpose  ;^  for 
the  paraos  which  cruised  outside,  knowing  that  the  Viceroy 
had  arrived  at  Goa,  had  all  taken  shelter  in  Calecut, 

He  arrived  at  Cananor,  where  they  gave  him  his  recep- 
tion, and  he  had  an  interview  with  the  King,  with  pomp  and 
honours.  The  King  was  much  pleased  to  see  him,  on  ac-  / 
count  of  the  things  which  had  been  related  of  him  with 
respect  to  the  discovery  of  India,  and  the  injuries  which  he 
had  since  done  to  Calecut ;  and  he  gave  him  a  rich  jewelled 
neck-chain,  and  the  Viceroy  sent  him  a  present  of  pieces  of 
silk  from  the  kingdom,  and  both  established  great  friend- 
ship. He  remained  there  three  days,  and  put  D.  Simao  de 
Meneses  in  the  flagship,  because  D.  Joiio  da  Silveira  had 
finished  his  time ;  and  he  departed,  and  passed  by  Calecut 
at  night,  because  he  learned  that  it  was  in  a  state  of  commo- 
tion, but  there  was  no  fighting,  and  the  people  of  the  shore 
communicated  with  our  men,  and  came  to  sell  provisions  at 
the  gate  of  the  fort,  after  they  heard  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Viceroy. 


[The  next,  or  second  chapter,  relates  how  Dom  Ani-ique, 
Captain  of  Goa,  sent  Christovilo  de  Brito  with  a  fleet  to  the 
river  of  Dabul,  and  what  happened  there.] 

•  Bavros  says  he  gave  Jeronymo  de  Sousa  six  vessels,  and  that  he  de- 
stroyed more  than  forty  paraos,  which  had  been  equipped  at  Coulete 
under  a  Moorish  captain  named  Cutialla,  by  orders  of  the  Zamorim,  to 
cut  off  the  provisions  which  the  Portuguese  carried  from  Cananor  to 
their  fort  in  Calecut. 


400  GAMA    GOES    TO    COCHIM. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Ilow  the  Viceroy  came  to  Cochym,'  and  wliat  happened  until  1).  Duarte 

arrived  from  Ormuz. 

When  it  was  known  in  Cocliym  that  the  Viceroy  was  already 
near  the  town,  the  Doctor  Pero  Nunes,  the  overseer  of  the 
treasury,  went  out  to  sea  in  a  large  boat  with  an  awning, 
and  dressed  out,  to  laud  the  Viceroy  in  it  if  he  was  so 
pleased.  Since  the  sea-breeze  was  feeble,  the  Viceroy  did 
not  reach  further  than  to  Cranganor,  where  the  overseer  came 
up  with  him,  and  was  received  by  him  with  great  honour, 
because  he  had  been  much  commended  by  the  King ;  for  as 
long  as  he  had  held  his  office,  which  had  been  six  years, 
he  had  done  such  good  service,  that  he  had  sent  pepper  of 
such  quality  that  in  the  kingdom  it  suffered  a  loss  of-  seven 
or  eight  per  cent.,  whilst  at  first  it  lost  thirty  or  forty  per 
per  cent.,  on  account  of  being  damp,  green,  and  with  a  mix- 
ture of  sand  and  grit,  and  the  factors  mixed  it  badly,  by 
which  they  made  their  profit.  This  man  remained  all  night 
with  the  Viceroy,  to  whom  he  gave  a  long  account  of  the 
affairs  of  the  governor  and  of  all  India. 

Dom  Luis  kept  the  galloon  Sam  Luis  outside  of  the  bar; 
he  had  refitted  it  this  winter,  and  it  was  well  equipped  with 
artillery  of  heavy  calibi'e,  and  awnings  and  flags.  He  em- 
barked in  it  next  day  with  many  gentlemen  and  plenty  of 
food,  and  set  sail  in  search  of  the  Viceroy,  who  was  standing 
well  out  to  sea  with  the  land-breeze,  which  was  lio-ht  for 
reaching  Cochym.  On  reaching  the  poop  of  the  Viceroy's 
ship,  he  ordered  a  salute  to  be  made  from  the  galloon's  top 
by  lowering  and  hoisting  the  standard  of  captain-major  of 

'  Castanlieda  says  Gania  arrived  at  Cocliym  at  the  end  of  October. 
-  Qnebrava. 


GAMA    ARRIVES    AT    COCHIM.  401 

the  sea,  wliich  he  carried.  This  was  replied  to  with  trumpets 
and  kcttlcdiums,  because  the  Viceroy  was  now  coming  in 
the  ship  from  Cananor  to  this  place.  Dom  Luiz  immediately 
got  into  a  boat  with  his  gentloraon  and  went  to  the  ship, 
and  the  Viceroy  received  him  at  the  ship's  side  with  many 
embraces  and  welcomes,  and  Dom  Luiz  made  great  courte- 
sies ;  after  which,  they  sat  down  on  chairs  upon  the  quarter- 
deck, where  the  Viceroy  received  the  gentlemen  who  came 
with  D.  Luis  to  make  their  salutations.  The  Viceroy  dis- 
missed the  overseer  of  the  revenue,  who  went  on  shore.  He 
had  given  the  Viceroy  a  long  account  of  the  goodness  of 
Dom  Luiz,  and  especially  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had 
reproved  the  governor  for  his  faults,  so  that  they  were  not 
on  good  terms  together :  of  which  the  King  in  Portugal 
was  already  well  informed,  on  which  account  he  had  charged 
the  Viceroy  to  shew  D.  Luis  great  honour. 

Dom  Luis  remained  with  the  Viceroy  talking  of  pressing 
matters  and  of  the  voyage,  until  the  sea-breeze  came,  when 
they  made  for  Cochym,  and  they  reached  the  bar  at  Ave 
Maria  (after  sunset).  The  ship  of  Vicente  Gil  was  at  the 
bar.  He,  as  a  merchant,  to  make  his  profits,  had  parted 
company  at  sea  in  the  night,  and  made  his  course  for 
Cochym,  where  he  sold  his  merchandise  and  made  much 
profit,  which  he  would  not  have  done  had  he  gone  to  Goa. 
This  the  Viceroy  was  well  aware  of,  and  paid  him  oflf  well 
for  it,  because  he  had  strictly  forbidden  all  the  captains 
separating  from  him. 

On  arriving  at  the  anchorage,  Dom  Luis  took  leave,  and 
returned  to  his  galloon,  which  was  a  long  way  off  from  the 
anchorage  of  the  ships.  The  Viceroy's  ship  made  a  salute 
with  much  artillery,  after  which  all  the  fleet  fired  salutes, 
and  last  of  all  the  caravels  :  a  wonderful  sight  to  see,  for  as 
the  night  was  already  dark,  all  the  fleet  could  be  seen  by 
the  glare  of  the  artillery  fire ;  but  a  shot  from  one  of  the 
caravels,  from  want  of  care,  struck  another,  and  killed  two 


i02  OPFJCIAL  i;t:ception 

men  in  it.  Wheii  all  had  done  firing',  then  Doni  Luis  g'ave 
orders  for  firing  all  the  heavy  g-uns  which  had  balls,  which 
were  thirty-two  large  pieces,  and  besides  falconnets,  swivel- 
guns,  and  chambers,^  so  that  he  fiied  more  than  a  hundred 
shots,  and  surpassed  them  all ;  and  the  Viceroy  was  much 
pleased  at  seeing  so  well  armed  a  galloon. 

The  Viceroy  slept  in  his  ship,  where  next  day  the  King 
sent  to  visit  him  by  one  of  his  ministers  ;  and  Dom  Luis 
went  on  shore  to  arrange  with  the  officials  of  the  Chamber 
for  his  reception  ;  and  everything  was  got  ready  for  the  next 
day,  when  D.  Luis  went  to  disembark  the  Viceroy,  for  vvhicii 
purpose  he  took  a  new  galley  which  he  had  ])uilt,  and  which 
was  manned  from  the  prow  abaft  with  slaves  belonging  to 
the  King,  who  were  good  rowers.  The  poop  was  dressed 
out  Avitli  rich  clotlis,  and  contained  the  gentlemen,  and  a 
great  banquet  for  breakfasting  or   dining,  if  the  Viceroy 

pleased. [With   him    there   came   D^JQiggp   de   Lima,  the 

captain  of  the  fortress,  which  fired  a  great  salute  on  his 
reaching  the  ship,  Avhen  he  went  to  the  Viceroy,  who  re- 
ceived them  with  great  courtesy.  On  D.  Luis  saying  that 
he  had  come  to  convey  him  on  shore,  the  Vicero}'  made  him 
many  excuses,  and  said  that  he  would  not  go  exce^Dt  in  his 
own  boat,  which  was  already  prepared  for  that,  with  an 
awning  of  scai'let  cloth  striped  with  dark  velvet,  braided 
with  gold  thread  and  jjlack  thread,  and  a  fringe  of  gold  and 
scarlet,  and  lined  inside  with  satin  brocade,  and  at  the  stern 
the  royal  standard  of  white  damask,  and  the  cross  of  Christ 
on  each  side,  made  of  crimson  satin,  braided  with  gold 
thread  and  tassels.  His  guard  went  in  two  boats  with  its 
captain,  dressed  in  livery,  with  pikes  gilt  half  way;  and  in 
another  boat  the  auditor-general,  with  his  constable  and 
men  with  their  staves  of  justice  and  lances.  All  the  cap- 
tnins  came  in  their  boats,  with  their  people  very  richly 
dressed.      When   the  Viceroy  entered  his  boat,  he  sat  down 

'  Caniaras. 


OF    GAMA    AT    COCIIIM.  40-3 

on  a  chair,  and  [made]  D.  Luis  [sit]  close  to  liini  on 
another :  at  which  D.  Luis  made  great  comphments  of 
courtesy,  and  excused  himself  from  taking  the  cliair ;  but 
the  Viceroy  made  him  sit  down,  and  said  :  "  Sir,  let  your 
worship  sit  down,  for  you  deserve  other  greater  honour,  and 
you  have  gained  it  in  the  estimation  of  the  King  my  sove- 
reign, through  your  good  deserts  of  honourable  deeds  and 
good  understanding  ;  for  you  have  obtained  more  than  the 
governor,  your  brother,  who  in  India  has  injured  his  great 
honour,  which  ho  won  with  so  many  labours  in  Africa  :  all 
which  has  increased  in  you  through  your  goodness,  for 
which  His  Highness  will  give  you  great  recompense.'^ 
Since  the  Viceroy  said  this  to  him  in  public,  Dom  Luis 
replied  to  him  with  his  barret-cap  in  his  hand  :  "  Sir,  I 
kiss  your  lordship's  hands  for  so  much  honour,  but  if  I  have 
any  goodness,  the  favours  which  His  Highness  shewed  to  me 
have  given  it  me  :  but  if  he  is  dissatisfied  with  the  governor 
my  brother,  I  can  feel  no  pleasure  which  can  ward  off  that 
great  grief,  which  is  the  greatest  which  I  can  feel  in  this 
world,  because  I  shall  not  be  able  to  remain  without  some 
portion  of  blame."  The  Viceroy  answered  him  :  "  On  the 
contrary,  it  the  more  redounds  to  your  honour."  So  they 
went  on  conversing  very  sweet  words  until  they  arrived  at 
the  strand,  where  they  landed  in  front  of  the  church,  where 
the  Viceroy  was  received  by  the  aldermen  {vereadores)  with 
a  rich  canopy,  and  a  harangue  of  great  praise ;  and  with  the 
clergy  in  procession  and  the  uplifted  cross,  they  went  to  the 
church  to  prayer.  They  told  him  that  the  King  of  Cochim 
was  coming,  and  when  the  prayers  were  ended,  the  Viceroy 
came  to  the  door  of  the  church,  until  the  King  approached, 
when  the  Viceroy  came  out  to  receive  him  in  the  straight 
street,^  and  the  King  on  seeing  him,  dismounted  from  the 
elephant    on    which    he   came,  and    embraced   the  Viceroy 

'   O  payo  a  receber  a  Rua  direita  :  or,  in  the  street  on  the  right  hand 
side. 


404  MKASUUKS    TAKKN    HY    <iAM\. 

several  timcH,  nnd  tho  Viceroy  Tnado  groat  salutations  of 
courtesy  to  him,  and  thoy  wont  to  sit  in  tlic  doorway  of  the 
church,  which  had  a  largo  porch,  where  they  spoke  words 
befitting  a  visit ;  after  which  the  King  took  leave,  and 
returned  upon  his  elephant.  The  Viceroy  went  to  lodge  in 
the  fortress,  at  the  gate  of  which,  he  dismissed  Dom  Luis 
with  his  salutations.  There  Dom  Ijuis  always  visited  liim, 
and  always  accompanied  him  to  the  church,  and  returned  to 
his  own  house,  because  the  Viceroy  occujiicd  himself  with 
the  dispatch  of  business,  which  gave  him  much  occupation, 
without  his  taking  repose  or  mid-day  sleep,  neither  did  he 
close  his  doors  ;^  and  in  the  mornings  and  evenings  he  used 
to  visit  the  strand  and  the  warehouses,  to  hurry  on  the  un- 
lading of  tho  ships.  The  Viceroy  commanded  Vicente  (iil 
to  be  put  into  prison  because  ho  had  coino  to  Cochym  before 
him,  and  he  ordered  the  master  and  pilot  to  pay  each  of 
them  a  hundred  cruzados,  and  Vicente  Gil  three  hundred, 
which  he  sent  to  the  superintendent  of  mercy  for  the  ex- 
penses of  the  hospital. 

The  Viceroy,  in  running  down  the  coast,  had  left  a  guard 
in  the  rivers  of  Mangalor  and  Bacanor,  and  had  sent  Diogo 
Martins  de  Lcmos  in  a  galliot  to  seize  upon  the  river  of 
Mangieirilo,  beyond  the  mountain  Dcly,  because  he  knew 
that  the  paraos  had  there  also  a  landing-place  for  taking  in 
provisions.  He  also  had  four  fustas,  besides  those  which  had 
been  taken  in  Dabul,  which  D.  Anrique  had  sent  to  him 
from  Goa."  The  Viceroy  entertained  serious  thoughts  of 
carrying  on  a  great  war  in  all  the  coast  and  rivers   of  the 

•  The  text  has  scm  ter  repo7iso,  7iem  sesta^  nem  porteiro^  nor  a  porter : 
that  is  to  say,  he  was  always  accessible. 

2  Barros  also  mentions  amongst  the  acts  of  the  Viceroy  at  Cochym, 
his  sending  Simon  Sodre  with  four  sail  to  the  Maldive  Islands  against 
some  Moors  wiio  intercepted  Kui>plies  for  the  fleet,  chiefly  coir  rope. 
Barros  also  says  that  the  Viceroy  prepared  a  fleet  to  go  to  the  Rod  Sea 
under  his  son  Estcvan,  but  he  did  not  go  since  his  father  fell  ill  in  the 
inidst  of  these  preparations. 


SWIFT    VESSELS    BUILT.  405 

Indian  shores,  as  soon  as  he  should  have  finished  dispatch- 
in*^  the  ships  to  the  kingdom.  So  he  ordered  four  new 
caturs  which  had  been  built  in  the  river  of  the  Culymutis  to 
be  taken  and  brought  to  Cochym.  These  had  been  made  of 
very  sharp  build,  to  row  well,  and  every  one  praised  them 
luuch,  and  ho  ordered  them  to  be  burned,  saying  that  ho 
would  shew  the  Moors  that  we  could  build  better  caturs  than 
theirs.  After  that  he  summoned  Master  Vyne,  a  Genoese, 
whom  he  had  brought  to  build  galleys,  and  he  asked  him  if 
he  could  build  vessels  which  would  row  faster  than  the 
paraos  of  the  Malabars.  He  replied  :  "  Sir,  I  will  build 
you  brigantines  which  would  catch  a  mosquito  for  you." 
He  at  once  set  himself  about  this  work,  and  made  two 
brisrantines  after  the  Levantine  fashion,  which  were  finished 
in  twenty  days.  The  Viceroy  then  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed 
that  to  every  Portuguese  man  who  would  row  in  the  brigan- 
tine,  sitting  on  the  bench,  he  would  pay  him  monthly  his 
wages  and  provisions,  and  would  give  them  freely  all  the 
goods  above  deck  of  all  the  ships  they  might  overhaul  by 
rowing ;  and  besides  they  should  have  double  shares  of  all 
the  prizes  along  with  the  other  people,  and  he  would  make 
them  free  of  all  other  service  in  summer  and  winter,  so  that 
they  should  have  no  work  except  with  their  brigantine. 
Upon  which  so  many  mariners  and  ship-boys  offered  them- 
selves, that  there  was  a  superabundance.  Each  of  these 
rowers  had  under  his  bench  a  breast-plate  and  helmet  of 
steel,  and  a  lance  and  shield,  and  two  pots  of  powder ;  be- 
cause, on  seeing  the  prize,  they  armed  themselves,  and  put 
on  the  helmets,  which  ghttered  afar  off,  and  on  coming  up 
with  the  prize  they  let  go  the  oars,  and  took  their  spears 
and  bucklers  and  powder-pots,  which  they  cast  on  coming 
alongside,  and  there  remained  thirty  armed  men,  who 
fought  and  could  do  much ;  so  nothing  escaped  them  either 
with  oars,  or  sail,  or  fighting. 

The  Viceroy  showed  himself  very  well  disposed  to  warlike 


40G  gama's  administration 

meuj  aud  used  to  say  tliat  when  lie  -vVent  to  fight,  he  would 
not  give  the  captaincies  except  to  men  wlio  in  war  had 
shewn  themselves  as  good  soldiers ;  for  he  would  give  tho 
honours  of  war  to  those  who  had  won  them  with  their  right 
arms,  and  however  low  a  man  he  might  be,  he  would  shew 
him  more  honour  than  to  a  gentleman  Jew.  This  he  used 
to  say  of  many  in  public,  for  the  Viceroy  was  very  haughty 
in  his  speech  ;  and  ho  said  that,  whoever  was  not  satisfied 
with  that,  he  would  give  them  leave  to  return  to  Portugal  to 
eat  what  their  fathers  earned.  He  inspired  everybody  with 
great  fear,  especially  the  captains  of  the  forts;  fur  if  he 
found  them  in  fault  he  would  chastise  and  execute  them, 
and  if  they  remained  alive  he  would  send  them  to  the  King, 
with  the  charges  against  them  ;  because  if  they  were  bad,  so 
also  would  be  the  officers  of  their  fortress,  and  the  officers  of 
justice  and  the  revenue,  and  then  all  together  destroyed  the 
people;  because  the  injuries  committed  by  the  Moors 
spi'ang  from  the  robberies  which  the  captains  committed 
upon  them  ;  and  therefore  no  one  should  go  to  Portugal  to 
escape  from  the  evil  which  he  had  done  in  India  during  his 
time,  because  as  he  would  chastise  the  great,  the  small  men 
would  be  afraid.  Therefore,  whenever  he  found  a  man 
aggrieved  or  injured  by  the  great,  or  by  sentences  wrongly 
given,  he  would  redress  it  all,  and  chastise  with  strict 
justice  ;  and  he  had  no  need  of  the  gentlemen  for  fighting, 
but  only  for  props,  to  set  up  one  when  another  was  rotten. 
Aud  if  any  gentleman  gave  favour  or  shelter  to  any  male- 
factor who  took  refuge  in  his  house,  and  did  not  at  once 
give  him  up  to  justice,  he  would  send  him  in  irons  to  the 
King,  saying  that  he  was  a  harbourer  of  malefactors  ;  and  if 
if  any  one  gave  to  a  malefactor  the  means  of  escape,  the 
punishment  which  the  malefactor  would  have  undergone 
should  be  inflicted  upon  him.  He  ordered  it  to  be  pro- 
claimed that  in  the  case  of  officials  of  justice  or  revenue 
comiuitting   fauUs,  ho   would  change  the  civil  ])enalties  for 


AT  cocrriM.  40 7 

them  into  criminal  chastisements.  Thus  in  everything  he 
showed  himself  a  strict  minister  of  the  service  of  the  King 
and  the  good  of  the  people,  for  the  service  of  Hod  and  the 
good  of  India.  He  put  into  the  captaincy  of  Cochym,  Lopo 
Vaz  de  Sampayo,  who  came  with  that  a])pointment ;  and  as 
D.  Diogo  de  Lim;i  had  finished  his  term  of  service^  and  be- 
cause he  was  poor,  the  Viceroy  gave  him  a  ship  in  which  to 
go  to  Ormuz  to  make  his  profits  ;  for  the  captains  of  Cochj'm 
and  Goa,  being  under  the  eye  of  the  governors,  are  not  able 
to  make  such  gaiijs  as  the  captains  of  the  other  fortresses, 
which  are  more  removed  from  the  infoi-mation  of  the  go- 
vernors. 

Dom  Luis  was  aware  that  the  King  had  received  informa- 
tion against  his  brother  the  governor,  and  he  knew  by 
letters  that  the  Viceroy  was  bringing  harsh  measures 
against  him,  and  the  Viceroy  was  all  the  worse  on  account 
of  his  roughness,  as  was  shewn  by  the  instructions  which 
he  had  left  at  Chaul  and  Goa,  without  waiting  till  the 
governor  gave  up  his  office  and  accounts.  As  Dom  Luis 
was  very  discreet,  he  sought  to  discover  this  matter ;  and 
with  the  thought  that  he  might  make  it  somewhat  smoother 
with  the  Viceroy,  when  he  went  to  visit  hiin  he  used  to  turn 
the  conversation  and  touch  upon  the  affaiis  of  his  brother, 
in  order  to  see  if  he  could  modei'ate  matters  so  that  the 
Viceroy  should  not  conduct  himself  very  rigorously  with  his 
brother.  This  the  Viceroy  well  understood,  and  always 
spoke  to  him  of  the  excellencies  of  sti-ict  justice,  and 
shewed  his  intention  of  observing  it  rigidly  ;  and  he  said 
that  he  had  full  jiowers  to  execute  justice  for  all  crimes, 
upon  all  persons  who  were  within  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
without  sending  them  to  Portugal  to  l)o  judged  by  the 
King,  for  he  would  execute  justice  upon  the  King's  own 
brothers,  if  he  had  them  in  Lidia.  With  these  answers  D. 
Luis  was  much  vexed,  for  he  knew  that  the  Viceroy  would 
have  brought  out  from  the  King  everything  that  he  might 
have  asked  of  him. 


408  PROCEEDINGS    OF    D.    DUARTE    DE    MENESES. 

The  Viceroy  caused  the  ships  to  be  laden  with  much  expe- 
dition, and  sent  to  Ceylon  for  cinnamon  the  two  ships 
belonging  to  the  warehouse,  which  the  overseer  of  the 
treasury  had  bought  for  fetching  cargo,  as  I  before  related, 
and  which  were  well  equipped  and  armed,  and  had  masters 
and  pilots,  and  did  good  service  to  the  King.  The  Viceroy 
sent  Duarte  de  Mello  in  one  of  these  ships  to  be  captain  of 
Ceylon,  and  orders  for  the  return  of  Fernan  Gomes  de 
Lemos,  concerning  whom  ho  had  received  bad  information, 
and  whose  time  of  service  also  was  completed ;  and  he  pro- 
hibited them,  under  pain  of  death,  from  touching  at  any 
coast  besides  Cochym  after  leaving  Ceylon. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Of  what  the  Govcnior  did  in  Onniiz,  until  he  set  sail  for  Luha  and 
arrived  at  Coehym,  where  he  found  the  Viceroy,  and  of  what  took 
place  with  liiiu. 

The  governor  (D.  Duarte  de  Meneses)  made  great  profits  in 
Ormuz  upon  the  goods  which  he  brought,  because  the 
brokers  delivered  them  to  the  merchants  at  high  prices, 
and  made  the  payment  of  them  obligatory,  and  there  wore 
other  gifts  and  bribes,  which  the  Ecsxamfo  (Rcis  ul  Sha- 
rafa)  took  from  the  people  to  give  to  the  governor,  to  keep 
him  in  good  humour.  Whilst  he  was  thus  at  Ormuz,  there 
arrived  there  one  Joan  Gonzalves  with  letters  from  Doui 
llodrigo,  who  was  in  the  lands  of  the  Prester,  by  which  ho 
urgently  requested  the  governor  to  send  him  a  vessel,  be- 
cause persons,  who  were  Dom  Luis  and  Heytor  da  Silveira, 
had  come  to  the  port  of  Masowah,  and  had  not  brought 
them  away,  because  they  were  at  some  distance  from  tho 
sea  by  order  of  the  Prester,  in  order  to  be  in  greater  se- 
curity ;  on  which  account,  on  hearing  a  message  from   the 


AFFAlliS    or    AliYSSINIA.  409 

vessels,  and  travelling  with  much  expedition,  they  were  not 
able  to  arrive  at  the  port  within  the  time  for  which  they  had 
been  summoned  :  the  captains,  therefore,  had  gone  away 
without  waiting  for  them,  and  the  cause  of  this  was  that 
the  vessels  had  arrived  late  at  the  port,  when  they  could  no 
longer  wait  for  them.  So  that  the  two  vessels  went  there 
for  nothing,  and  caused  great  expense  to  the  King.  In 
order  that  this  might  not  happen  again,  and  they  remain 
forgotten  on  account  of  other  business  that  there  might  be  in 
India,  they  all  besought  him,  for  the  love  of  God,  to  remember 
them,  and  when  he  sent  a  vessel,  that  it  might  be  with 
instructions  not  to  delay  on  the  way,  and  to  arrive  at 
Masowah  in  March,  or  as  much  sooner  as  was  possible. 
Dom  Rodrigo  sent  Joan  Gonzalves  with  this  letter  because 
he  knew  many  languages  ;  and  in  the  dress  of  a  Moor,  and 
in  the  company  of  merchants  with  their  merchandise,  he 
embarked  in  a  Moorish  ship,  which  was  cast  away  on  the 
coast  of  Fartaque  in  Badalcuria.  He  escaped  from  tho 
wreck,  and  begging  alms  along  with  the  other  Moors  who 
had  been  wrecked,  he  went  as  far  as  Maskat,  and  thence  to 
Ormuz.  The  governor  bestowed  favours  on  him  for  his 
labours  and  hardships.  He  related  to  the  governor  all  that 
had  passed  between  Dom  Rodrigo  and  the  Prester.  This  I 
do  not  write  here,  because  I  will  do  it  farther  on,  after  D. 
Rodrigo's  arrival ;  for  there  were  some  of  his  people  who 
wrote  it  down,  especially  the  Father  Francisco  Alvares,  who 
took  most  care  in  writing  in  minute  detail  all  that  happened, 
from  whom  I  had  his  book,  from  which  I  took  the  chief 
parts  which  seemed  to  me  necessary  for  this  history,  and  I 
did  not  take  many  minute  details,  because  the  reading  was 
long,  and  later  it  was  printed  in  the  kingdom,  and  came 
printed  to  India. 

****** 

[Here    follows    an    account    of   the  journey   of  Baltasar 
Pessoa,  NvLo  was  sent  by  the  governor  from  Ornuiz  to  Shah 


410  PROCEEDINGS    OF    D.    DUA£TE    DE    MENESES. 

Ismail  to  complain  of  some  of  Shall  Ismail's  captains  who 
had  impeded  caravans  from  coming  to  Ormuz.  An  account 
is  given  of  a  feast  in  the  Shah's  camp,  and  of  his  death 
a  month  later,  and  of  the  investiture  a  month  after  that  of 
his  nephew  Xataraaz  (Shah  Tamasp).  Pessoa  got  no 
answer,  and  returned  to  Oi-muz  after  the  governor  had 
left  for  India.] 

The  governor,  having  finished  collecting  his  goods  and 
taken  the  measures  that  were  requisite,  departed  from 
Ormuz  and  came  to  Maskat,  and  from  thence  sailed  for 
India,  making  for  the  land  above  Dio,  where  he  spread  out 
the  fleet,  and  waited  some  days  for  the  ships  from  Mekkah, 
but  none  came.  He  then  continued  his  voyage,  passing  by 
Dio  at  night,  and  went  to  Chaul,  where  he  found  Christoviio 
de  Sousa  as  captain,  who  at  once  sent  out  to  meet  him  with 
refreshments,  and  a  message  that  he  would  serve  him  in 
whatever  he  might  command  him  as  Dom  Duarte,  but  in 
nothing  as  governor,  for  the  Viceroy  had  given  these 
orders ;  also  that  he  was  not  to  come  on  shore,  but  was 
to  go  to  the  Viceroy.  Upon  which  Dom  Duarte  took  in 
what  he  wanted,  and  departed,  and  went  to  Goa,  where  the 
captain,  D.  Anrique,  sent  him  a  similar  message.  Hector 
da  Silveira  went  on  shore  to  see  D.  Anrique,  who  begged 
him  not  to  allow  any  of  his  crews  to  land,  and  to  conduct 
them  all  to  Cochym,  for  those  were  the  orders  the' Viceroy 
had  left.  Dom  Duarte  remained  at  the  bar  six  days  doing 
his  business  ;  then  he  departed,  and  went  to  Baticala,  where 
he  remained  at  his  leisure,  buying  goods  for  his  chests  for 
the  kingdom,  and  articles  for  the  voyage.  Hector  da  Sil- 
veira, seeing  that  the  governor  would  make  many  delays, 
so  as  not  to  arrive  at  Cochym  except  at  a  time  when  the 
ships  would  be  already  laden,  so  as  at  once  to  embark  and 
depart  for  the  kingdom,  and  that  he  said  that  he  was  not 
going  to  enter  into  disputes  with  the  Viceroy,  such  as  he 
would  set  on  foot  with  him,   since  the  Viceroy  had  come 


IIKCTOU    DA    SlLVEUtA   AKllIVES    AT    COCHIM.  411 

out  SO  sour  [verdc]  that  lie  had  taken  the  governorship  of 
India  before  he  had  given  it  up  to  him — Hector  da  Silveira, 
seeing  this^  asked  his  leave  to  go  to  Cochym,  This  the 
governor  did  not  wish  to  grant  to  him  ;  but  Hector  da  Sil- 
veira  repeated  his  request,  saying  that  it  was  not  reason- 
able that  he  should  go  on  arranging  his  affairs  very  leisurely, 
whilst  he  had  with  him  so  many  ships  and  crews,  and  was 
expending  the  King's  stores.  Upon  this  they  debated. 
However,  D.  Duarte  gave  him  permission  to  go,  and  dis- 
missed the  fleet  for  him  to  take  it  with  him,  retaining  for 
himself  five  galleys  with  few  seamen.  Hector  da  Silveira 
arrived  at  Cochym  with  the  whole  fleet,  and  entered  into 
the  river  with  it.  Making  a  great  salute  of  artillery,  he 
went  on  shore,  accompanied  by  all  his  people  and  captains, 
and  went  to  the  church  to  offer  up  his  prayers ;  he  then 
went  to  the  Viceroy  in  the  fortress,  who  received  him  v/ith 
much  honour.  He  crave  the  Vicerov  a  long-  account  of  his 
voyage  and  of  the  peace  with  Aden  ;  and  the  Viceroy  re- 
plied that  he  had  done  well  in  all,  except  that  he  made  a 
great  mistake  in  leaving  the  brigantine  and  the  Portu- 
guese,!  because  the  King  of  Aden  was  to  be  trusted  with 
them  for  the  crown  of  two  thousand  xafarins  which  he  had 
given,  by  which  means  he  had  deceived  him,  since  the  King 
of  Aden  did  not  choose  to  be  vassal  even  of  the  Grand 
Turk  ;  and  that  he  understood  that  the  peace  which  he 
had  made  was  only  to  save  the  ships  which  were  in  the 
port ;  and  if  Silveira  had  asked  for  ten  thousand  xafarins, 
he  would  have  given  them,  and  ten  crowns  of  gold  over 
and  above  ;  and  that  in  everything  he,  and  the  captains  who 
had  counselled  him,  had  been  deceived.  Upon  which  Hector 
da  Silveira  took  to  other  subjects  of  conversation,  because 
he  saw  that  the  Viceroy  was  cross  with  respect  to  a  matter 
in  which  he  thought  that  he  had  acted  with  much  sagacity, 
and  he  was  much  afraid   that   the  Viceroy  would  be  still 

1  Silveira  left  a  brigantine  and  twenty  men  for  the  revenue  service  of 
the  Kill"  cif  Afkn. 


412  D.    DUARTE    ARRIVES    AT    COCHIM. 

more  angry  with  liim  wlion  lie  learned  that  he  had  acted 
without  the  advice  of  his  captains ;  and  he  found  himself 
much  embarrassedj  and  said  nothing  about  it  to  anybody, 
but  always  accompanied  the  Viceroy  a  great  deal,  for  he 
never  went  out  of  his  house  without  finding  Silveira  at  the 
door,  accompanied  by  many  people,  for  he  kept  a  largo 
table,  and  so  did  Dom  Luis,  where  all  the  men  of  India 
used  to  meet,  for  so  large  a  number  of  people  did  not  eat  at 
the  table  of  the  Viceroy. 

The  Viceroy  was  much  occupied  with  the  preparation  of 
the  cargo,  and  refitting  the  ships  of  the  fleet  and  those 
which  Hector  da  Silveira  had  brought,  and  with  the  prepa- 
ration of  a  flotilla,  for  he  had  determined  that  as  soon  as 
he  had  dispatched  the  ships  for  the  kingdom  he  would  go 
and  destroy  Calecut  and  all  the  coast  of  India,  so  that  tliero 
should  not  remain  one  Moor  on  land  nor  at  sea;  and  with 
this  design,  and  on  account  of  other  thing*  which  he  found 
in  India  different  from  what  he  had  expected,  and  on  ac- 
count of  the  affairs  of  Dom  Duarte,  he  at  once  ordered  a 
ship  to  be  got  ready  to  sail  before  the  other  ships  with 
letters  for  the  King,  as  soon  as  ho  saw  Dom  Duarte,  who 
arrived  at  the  bar  of  Cochym  *  *i  of  November,  and  an- 
chored at  the  bar  in  the  galloon  San  Din  Is,  in  which  ho 
came,  with  three  other  galloons,  and  other  vessels  which 
entered  the  river  with  the  sea-breeze. 

Dom  Duarte  having  arrived  thus,  the  Viceroy  sent  Lopo 
Vaz  de  Sampayo,  captain  of  Cochym,  and  with  him  Pero 
Barreto,  whom  he  had  made  auditor-general,  because  J  oilo 
do  Soyro  was  ill,  and  sent  word  to  Dom  Duarte  not  to  como 
ashore,  and  at  once  to  go  over  to  the  ship  Gasfollo,  which 
was  beginning  to  take  in  cargo,  because  he  had  to  go  to 
the  kingdom  a  prisoner  upon  his  parole  that  he  would  not 

1  A  note  in  the  Lisbon  edition  says  the  day  of  tlie  month  is  wanting 
in  the  original ;  it  seems  that  ien  had  been  written  and  afterwards 
beiatcLed  out. 


BISAGUEEMENT    BETWEEN    GAMA    AND    1).    DUARTE.         413 

fro  out  of  it  except  in  Lisbon,  upon  a  message  from  the 
King,  and  that  ho  was  to  go  and  put  himself  on  board  the 
sliip,  and  in  it  give  this  pledge  signed  by  himself;  and 
the  Viceroy  sent  him  a  copy  of  a  section  of  his  instructions 
which  said  this.' 

'  Barros  says  nothing  of  the  disputes  which  took  place  between  Gama 
and  I).  Duarte  de  IVIcncses,  and  only  alludes  to  them  in  speaking  of  his 
illness,  in  addition  to  which,  he  says,  Gama  suffered  from  the  "vexation 
which  he  felt  on  account  of  some  matters  of  administration,  and 
tlie  delivery  of  the  government  by  D.  Duarte."  Barros,  however,  de- 
scribes Gama,  who  had  begun  to  get  ill  before  the  arrival  of  D.  Duarte, 
as  drawing  up  a  deed  which  was  sworn  to  and  signed  by'Affonso  Mexia, 
tlie  overseer  of  the  revenue,  and  other  persons:  by  this  act  Lopo  Vaz  de 
Sampayo  was  to  serve  as  governor,  in  case  of  Gama's  decease,  until  the 
arrival  of  the  person  named  by  the  King  for  the  succession.  Barros 
adds  that  all  this  was  done  before  D.  Duarte  had  arrived  from  Ormuz 
to  deliver  up  the  governorship,  which  caused  some  gentlemen  to  have 
scruples  with  regard  to  this  proceeding  without  the  government  being 
handed  over  as  was  customary.  In  justification  of  the  course  adopted 
by  Gama,  and  his  assumption  of  the  government  without  waiting  for 
its  being  handed  over  to  him  by  D.  Duarte,  Barros  gives  the  docu- 
ment of  King  John  appointing  Gama  as  Viceroy,  dated  Evora,  February 
25,  1524. 

This  document,  in  the  name  of  the  King,  makes  known  to  D.  Duarte 
de  Mencses,  the  captain-major  and  governor  of  India,  that,  as  he  had 
been  informed  by  another  letter,  the  King  was  pleased  that  he  should 
return  to  the  kingdom  with  this  fleet,  and  deliver  uji  the  government 
to  D.  Vasco  da  Gama,  the  Viceroy  :  and  he  was  not  any  longer  to  make 
use  of  the  governorship  nor  affairs  of  justice  and  revenue,  nor  any  other 
quality  pertaining  to  that  office.  Therefore,  the  said  Viceroy  was  at 
once  to  be  put  in  possession  of  all  power,  etc.,  etc.  Further  we  declare 
that  during  the  time  that  you  may  be  in  India  before  embarking,  you 
may  remain  in  Cochim  or  in  Cananor,  whichever  you  please,  and  with 
respect  to  your  servants,  etc.,  etc.,  who  went  with  you,  and  those  of  D. 
liuis  your  brother,  etc.,  etc.,  the  said  Count  (Vasco  da  Gama)  shall  not 
have  jurisdiction,  etc.,  etc.,  over  them.  Reserving,  however,  that  if  you 
or  the  others  should  be  assigned,  or  cited,  or  sued,  either  in  civil  or 
criminal  cases,  by  persons,  also  by  either  our  natives  or  merchants  of 
tlie  country,  etc.,  who  should  not  be  coming  in  the  fleet  in  which  you 
are  to  come,  you  or  they  may  be  sued  before  the  said  Count  and 
auditor,  who  is  to  remain  with  him,  and  the  suit  shall  not  be  before  you, 
in  order  to  fulfil  justice.     And  if  you  should  be  out  of  India  when  the 


414  DISAGREEMENT    BETWEEN 

These  men  went  to  the  galloon^  and  Lopo  Vaz  gave  the 
message  to  Dom  Duarte,  at  which  he  shewed  himself  much 

said  Count  arrives,  in  that  case  the  Count  shall  at  once  use  all  power, 
jurisdiction,  etc.,  etc.,  as  he  would  do  if  he  found  you  there  and  pre- 
sented to  you  this  letter  for  you  to  deliver  up  the  government,  etc.  And 
if  by  impediment  of  sickness  you,  the  said  D.  Duarte,  cannot  embark  in 
this  fleet,  we  are  pleased  that  you  and  your  servants,  and  your  brother, 
etc.,  etc.,  should  betake  yourselves  to  the  fortress  of  Cananor :  and  re- 
main in  it  till  your  departure  from  India:  and  yoii  shall  iise  in  it  all  the 
power,  jurisdiction,  etc.,  which  you  have  as  captain-major  and  governor 
of  India,  over  them,  and  over  the  captain,  alcaide,  factor,  and  clerks, 
of  the  factory  and  fortress  :  and  you  shall  hear  and  judge  all  their  civil 
and  criminal  cases,  without  the  said  Count  being  able  to  use  the  power 
of  Viceroy  over  the  above-mentioned.  And  we  order  the  captain,  ^nd 
alcaide,  and  factor,  and  clerks,  etc.,  etc.,  of  Cananor  to  obey  you",  etc. 
We  are  pleased  that  it  should  also  be  so  understood  in  case  you  should 
be  out  of  India  in  our  service,  and  should  return  to  it  after  the  depar- 
ture for  these  realms  of  the  fleet  which  the  Viceroy  takes  with  him  for 
bringing  spices,  and  in  which  you  are  to  return.  Reserving,  however,  that 
the  power,  etc.,  which  we  give  you  over  the  aforesaid  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood with  respect  to  anything  which  touches  our  revenue  and  Indian 
trade  ;  because  you  are  not  to  deal  with  tliat,  Avhieli  remains  with  the 
Viceroy,  etc.  And  of  the  delivery  of  the  government  to  the  Viceroy, 
you  will  take  a  public  instrument,  in  which  will  be  declared  the  ships 
and  artillery,  etc.,  and  the  forts  and  artillery,  etc.,  which  you  deliver  to 
him,  etc.,  for  us  to  be  able  to  see  it ;  and  after  this  delivery  you  are 
freed  from  all  obligation  for  the  said  government.  Given  in  Evora. 
February  25.     Bartholomeu  Fernandez  wrote  it.     Year  1524.'" 

Barros  also  gives  the  document  by  which  D.  ])uarte  de  Meneses 
received  a  public  acknowledgment  of  having  delivered  up  the  govern- 
ment. It  is  dated  Cochym,  December  fourth,  1524,  and  witnessed  by 
Lopo  Vaz  de  Sampayo,  Fernan  Martins  de  Sousa,  D.  Pedro  de  Castello- 
braneo,  Affonso  Mexia,  overseer  of  the  revenue,  Pero  Mascarenhas,  the 
Licentiate  Joan  do  Souro,  auditor  general :  Joan  Nunes,  public  writ(»r, 
wrote  it  by  special  order  of  the  Viceroy,  and  signed  it  with  his  public 
signature.  Castanheda  gives  these]  two  documents  :  he  says  D.  Duarte 
called  the  auditor  general  a  "  bacharel." 

According  to  the  document  given  by  Barros,  Cama  appears  to  have 
acted  with  more  harshness  and  less  courtesy  towards  his  predecessor 
than  the  King's  orders  warranted  ;  but  he  is  somewhat  justified  by  the 
statements  of  Correa,  Castanheda,  and  San  Roman,  that  D.  Duarte  de 
Meneses  delayed  giving  up  the  government  in  the  expectation  that 
Gama  would  die,  and  that  he  would  remain  governor  as  before ;  also 


OAMA    ANT    I).    Kl'ARTE    1)K    MKNESICS.  415 

.'iiFrontcd^  and  said  to  Lopo  Vaz:  "You  onglit  not.  to  be  the 
bearer  of  this  message,  since  that  staff'  of  justice,  whom  it 
seems  you  liave  brought  to  execute  nie,  was  sufficient 
and  the  fittino-  i)crson  for  it :  vou  ou^'lit  to  remember  that 
my  father  made  you  a  knight,  and  that  you  cannot  there- 
fore be  against  his  affiiirs."  Lopo  Vaz  replied  that  in  do- 
ing what  the  King  our  sovei^eign  commanded  he  would  act 
against  his  own  father,  whoso  head  he  would  cut  off"  if  it 
was  commanded  him,  and  that  apart  from  the  King's  com- 
mands he  would  act  as  his  honour  requii'ed  of  him  ;  there- 
fore he  entreated  liiin  to  answer  and  obey  what  the  King 
our  sovereign  commanded,  and  what  he  said  to  him  on  the 
King's  behalf.  To  this  Dom  Duarte  replied  that  he  obeyed 
in  everything,  only  that  with  regard  to  the  vessel  that  was 
assigned  to  him,  he  had  instructions  in  a  contrary  sense, 
which  said  that  when  he  departed  for  the  kingdom,  he 
might  select  for  his  embarkation  the  ship  which  lie  pleased 
out  of  as  many  as  there  might  be;  and  he  said  that  as  the 
King  had  not  abrogated  this  instruction,  the  Viceroy  ought 
to  observe  it,  and  not  aggravate  it,  and  that  in  the  ship  in 
which  he  embarked  he  would  give  the  pledge  which  the 
King  ordered.  With  this  he  dismissed  them,  and  they  re- 
turned on  shore  to  give  the  message  to  the  Viceroy ;  and 
D.  Duarte  got  into  a  boat  and  went  to  look  at  all  the  ships 
which  were  taking  in  cargo,  and  was  satisfied  with  the  ship 
San  Jorrje,  in  which  he  at  once  remained,  and  sent  to  the 

that  D.  Luis  tie  Menescs,  whilst  appearing  to  occupy  himself  with 
preparations  for  his  brother's  journey,  was  looking  out  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  place  the  government  in  the  hands  of  his  brother  ;  and  that 
by  the  enforced  embarcation  of  D.  Luiz,  the  rumours  which  began  to 
spread  were  suppressed.  Scnhor  Basto,  the  keeper  of  the  Archives  of 
the  Torre  do  Tonibo,  has  informed  me  that  these  two  documents  given 
by  Barros  are  not  to  be  found  in  those  Archives.  The  recognition  by 
Vasco  da  Gama  of  the  delivery  of  the  government,  etc.,  by  ]).  Duarte 
de  Mencses,  would  be  kept  by  him,  though  a  copy  might  be  preserved 
in  the  Archives  of  India. 


41 G  ANGER  OF  GAMA  WITH  D.  DUAUTE. 

galloon  for  his  baggage,  and  took  up  bis  quarters  in  that 
ship. 

Lopo  Yaz  gave  the  answer  of  D.  Duarte  to  the  Viceroy, 
at  which  he  was  much  enraged,  and  as  it  was  already  late, 
he  waited  till  next  day  to  give  orders  for  what  was  to  be 
done  ;  but  as  later  it  was  told  him  that  D.  Duarte  had  gone 
and  established  himself  with  his  baggage  in  the  Sayi  Jorge, 
at  this  he  lost  his  patience,  and  at  once  next  day  in  the 
morning  he  sent  the  auditor  to  tell  D.  Duarte  not  to  get 
himself  into  more  trouble  than  what  he  was  in  already,  that 
the  instruction  with  regard  to  his  embarkation  would  be 
good  if  he  had  been  at  liberty,  but  that  since  he  was  going 
under  arrest,  he  was  not  to  go  except  in  the  ship  Gastcllo, 
which  he  assigned  to  him  as  a  prison,  and  in  no  other  ship ; 
therefore  he  was  at  once  to  go  and  put  himself  on  board 
that  ship,  and  there  give  the  pledge,  and  if  he  did  not  obey 
the  King's  commands,  he  would  then  take  such  measures  as 
he  thougfht  fit.  To  this  Dom  Duarte  sent  an  answer  that 
he  might  do  as  he  pleased,  and  since  he  intended  to  use 
absolute  power,  he  was  well  able  to  do  so,  for  he  had  the 
knife  and  the  cheese.  The  Viceroy,  on  hearing  this  answer, 
was  much  irritated,  and  said  :  "  Dom  Duarte  has  bad  ad- 
vice in  the  course  he  is  following  with  me,  and  is  placing 
himself  in  a  position  in  which  his  misfortunes  may  become 
greater ;  for  even  though  I  were  unreasonable,  he  would  be 
acting  with  sagacity  in  obeying;  and  since  he  wishes  to 
follow  out  his  fancy,  he  will  hear  of  me." 

He  then  at  once  sent  orders  to  the  superintendent  of  the 
building  yard  to  get  ready  two  galloons,  which  were  without 
yardarms  and  almost  stripped  of  their  rigging,  which  at 
night  were  equipped  with  artillery  and  gunners,  and  which 
had  to  go  out  of  the  river  next  morning,  as  they  did  go  out; 
and  in  them  the  Viceroy  sent  the  chief  constable  and  the 
auditor-general,  and  he  ordered  them  to  anchor  on  both 
sides  of  the  ship  near  the  stern,  and  the  auditor  accompanied 


GAMA  ORDERS  THE  ARREST  OP  D.  DUARTE.       41  7 

by  two  notaries,  was  to  go  in  a  boat  alongside  the  ship, 
and  from  outside  of  it  was  to  require  Dom  Duarto  on  the 
part  of  the  King  to  come  out  at  once,  and  go  and  place 
himself  on  board  the  ship  Castello  ;  and  if  he  did  not  obey 
that,  the  notary  was  to  draw  up  an  act  with  a  protest  signed 
by  witnesses ;  and  he  was  then  to  repeat  the  requisition  to 
him  three  times,  and  if  he  did  not  obey  they  were  to  shout 
to  the  ship's  crew  to  come  out,  because  they  were  going  to 
sink  it,  and  then  having  done  this,  they  were  to  return  to 
the  galloons,  and  with  the  artillery  send  the  ship  to  the 
bottom.  He  administered  an  oath  to  the  auditor  and  chief 
constable  to  carry  this  out,  and  gave  them  his  warrant  for  it. 
This  having  been  told  to  Dom  Luiz,  he  went  to  the  Vice- 
roy and  entreated  him  much  as  a  favour  not  to  conduct  him- 
self so  rigorously  with  his  brother,  since  he  had  not  sold 
any  of  the  King's  fortresses ;  and  the  things  ordered  with 
such  wrath,  rather  resembled  hatred  than  any  other  good 
reason  that  there  might  be  for  it.  The  Viceroy  answered 
him  with  much  courtesy,  which  he  always  used  towards  him, 
and  said  :  "  Senhor  Dom  Luiz,  if  your  brother  had  sold  for- 
tresses, he  would  not  have  got  his  head  where  it  now  is,  for 
I  would  have  ordered  it  to  be  cut  off,  and  you  should  not 
have  uttered  that  speech  to  me ;  neither  did  your  brother 
ever  annoy  me,  for  me  to  feel  hatred  towards  him,  and  do 
to  him  that  which  I  ought  not,  neither  should  your  worship 
say  to  me  such  mistaken  words,  for,  so  God  give  me  health, 
if  I  commit  any  error,  it  is  in  not  doing  all  that  I  am  obliged 
to  do,  and  I  act  thus  because  I  am  your  servant,  and  the  King 
our  sovereign  is  your  friend.  With  respect  to  your  brother, 
I  was  going  to  advise  him,  and  to  you  as  to  a  brother  I  also 
give  the  advice,  that  for  the  future  he  pay  great  obedience 
to  the  commands  of  the  King,  since  up  to  this  time  he  has 
observed  them  so  ill  in  the  governance  of  India  that  he  is 
the  scandaP  of  Portugal ;  and  by  obeying  with  gentleness 
•  O  luino,  literally,  the  fire. 


418        D.  LUIS  TAKES  THE  PART  OP  D.  DUARTE. 

what  the  King  commands,  all  will  go  well,  because  what  I 
command  is  commanded  by  the  King,  and  if  he  gives  me 
some  good  answer  on  his  behalf,  perhaps  I  will  do  what  is 
more  for  his  interests,  than  what  he  could  do  for  himself: 
and  I  tell  you  the  truth,  not  in  order  that  you  should  thank 
me  for  it,  that  for  affection  for  you  I  am  going  much  beyond 
what  the  King  has  ordered  me,  and  I  would  show  it  you  if 
I  could/'     To  this  Dom  Luis  replied,  but  not  with  as  much 
gentleness  as  the  Viceroy  desired:  in  the  course  of  this  they 
wrangled  so  much,  that  the  Viceroy  rose  up  and  went  to 
the  door  of  the  chamber,  saying:    "Senhor  Dom  Luis,  go  in 
peace,  for  I  have  already  told  you  for  my  part  many  truths, 
and  you  little  believe  me,  and  think  that  you  have  all  the 
reason  on  your  side,   and  that  I  am  the  one  who  is  mis- 
taken ;  by  which  you  are  unthankful  for  what  I  could   do, 
and  which  I  do  not  do  because  I  see  you  stand  in  my  way/' 
Dom  Luiz  wished  to  speak,  but  the  Viceroy  took  off  his 
barret-cap,  saying  ;  "  Sir,  do  me  the  favour  to  let  there  be 
no  more  for  to-day ;  "  and  he  turned  his  back  upon  him,  at 
which    Dom    Luiz  was  enraged,  and  said :  "  You  do   not 
choose  to  hear  me.     I  trust  in  God  that  a  time  will  come  in 
which  I  also  shall  not  choose  to  hear  you.     I  will  go  to  my 
brother,  and  whatever  happens  to  him  shall  happen  to  me." 
Dom  Luis  went  down  the  hall  as  he  said  this,  and  many 
heard  him,  and  he  went  to  his  abode,  accompanied  by  many 
people  who  used  to  eat  with  him. 

These  words  which  D.  Luiz  spoke  were  repeated  to  the 
Viceroy,  at  which  he  was  greatly  enraged,  and  ordei-ed  the 
captain  of  the  fortress,  Lopo  Vaz  de  Sampayo,  at  once  to 
order  Dom  Luiz  to  embark,  and  not  to  remain  another 
moment  on  shore,  and  not  to  allow  any  one  to  go  with  him, 
and  he  (the  Viceroy)  would  remain  at  the  window  until  ho 
saw  him  put  on  board.  Upon  which  Lopo  Vaz  de  Sampayo 
went  to  the  house  of  D.  Luiz,  who  was  sitting  down  to  table 
to  dine  with  the  numerous  persons  who  ate  with  him.     He, 


ARREST    OF    D.    LUIS.  419 

seeing  Lopo  Vazj  waited  to  see  what  he  would  say,  and  he, 
from  the  door,  without  coming  inside,  said  to  him  :  "  Senhor 
Dom  Luiz,  the  lord  Viceroy  commands  that  you  should  go 
with  me  to  embark  at  once,  and  he  remains  at  the  window 
waiting  until  you  go  on  board."  Dom  Luiz  with  passion 
laughed,  and  said  :  "  I  am  amazed  that  he  did  not  send 
hiliguins^  to  carry  me  off:  all  that  he  commands  shall  be 
done."  Then  asking  for  his  cloak,  he  said  :  *^  Gentlemen, 
if  they  do  not  let  you  dine,  I  have  ordered  the  dinner  to  be 
taken  away,  that  it  may  not  be  lost ;  and  do  you  remain 
with  the  peace  of  God,  since  they  take  us  away  from  eating 
this  farewell  dinner ;''  and  this  he  said  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 
The  gentlemen  rose  from  the  table  to  accompany  him,  which 
Lopo  Yaz  did  not  permit,  and  ordered  on  the  part  of  the 
Viceroy  that  no  one  should  leave  the  house.  This  they  all 
obeyed.  D.  Luiz  alone,  with  two  servants,  went  to  the 
beach  and  got  into  a  vessel  {tone)  which  he  found,  and  he 
went  off  to  the  ships,  saying  to  Lopo  Vaz  :  "  Sir,  say  to  the 
Viceroy  that  this  kingdom  is  his,  and  later  it  will  belong  to 
another." 

Dom  Luiz,  as  he  was  very  discreet,  had  never  gone  to 
see  his  brother  since  he  had  arrived,  that  the  Viceroy  might 
not  think  that  the  two  took  counsel  together  ;  and  on  ar- 
riving at  the  ship  he  found  the  auditor  at  the  ship^s  side  de- 
livering the  Viceroy's  message  to  his  brother,  and  D.  Luiz 
said  to  him  :  ''  Sir  auditor,  in  order  that  you  may  not  cause 
the  loss  of  this  ship  which  belongs  to  the  King,  wait,  and 
I  will  deliver  him  up  to  you  bound  in  irons,  if  you  command 
it,  and  I  will  do  everything  to  serve  the  lord  Viceroy." 
He  then  entered  the  ship,  and  at  the  side  the  two  embraced 
with  many  tears,  D.  Luiz  saying  to  him  :  "  My  brother,  I 
entreat  you  as  a  favour  to  submit  to  this  turn  of  fortune, 
since  such  is  so  certain  amidst  the  pleasures  of  this  life ; 

^  Bailiffs:  Biliguira  or  Belleguim  is  an  inferior  officer  of  justice.    This 
word  has  been  in  the  Portuguese  language  since  ancient  times. 


420  D.  DUARTE  PRESERVES  HIS  MONEY 

and  at  once  let  us  go  to  the  ship  Castello,  and  this  excom- 
munication will  not  touch  you,  which  the  auditor  is  pub- 
lishing against  you,  for  the  Viceroy  is  going  beyond  all 
bounds."  Dom  Duarte  was  a  man  not  inclined  to  anger, 
and  he  answered  him  :  "  My  brother,  I  feel  more  grief  at 
your  irritation  than  at  the  thunders  of  the  Viceroy.  Let 
us  go  to  Portugal,  and  if  God  takes  ps  there,  what  He 
pleases  will  happen."  Upon  which  they  went  to  the  ship 
Castdlo,  and  D,  Duarte  said  to  the  auditor  :  "  Go  in  peace, 
and  say  to  him  who  sent  you  here,  that  his  will  is  done, 
and  shall  be  done  in  this  country,  which  is  now  his  empire." 
The  next  day  the  Viceroy  sent  Afonso  Mexia,  the  over- 
seer of  the  treasury,  to  Dom  Duarte,  with  a  minute  requir- 
ing him  to  deliver  up  so  many  thousand  pardaos  belonging 
to  the  King,  which  he  had  received  in  such  a  place,  and  so 
many  others  in  such  another,  and  in  such  other,  which 
made  a  great  sum.  D.  Duarte  replied  to  this,  saying  that 
the  King  had  given  him  this  factory  in  which  he  had  re- 
ceived those  so  many  thousand  pardaos,  and  that  he  would 
go  and  give  an  account  of  them  to  His  Highness.  D. 
Duarte  was  afraid  that  the  Viceroy  would  make  some  search 
in  order  to  take  away  his  money  ;  on  which  account,  as  soon 
as  he  had  arrived,  he  had  put  it  in  security,  for  it  was  a 
small  sum,  as  the  greater  part  he  held  in  precious  stones, 
in  a  casket  full  of  rich  gold  stuffs,  pearls,  and  jewellery, 
which  were  worth  a  large  price.  The  whole  was  put  inside 
a  chest,  and  he  secretly  entrusted  it  to  Bastiuo  Pires,  the 
vicar-general,  who  was  his  great  friend  and  in  his  seci-ets ; 
and  along  with  him  an  old  tutor,  who  had  brought  him  up, 
who  went  at  night  in  a  boat  of  black  Malabar  men,  and 
landed  on  the  beach  outside  of  the  town ;  and  the  boat 
went  away,  and  they  two  took  the  chest,  and  with  an  iron 
shovel,  which  they  bi'ought  for  the  purpose,  they  made  a 
hole  in  the  sand,  into  which  they  put  the  chest,  and  on  the 
top  of  the  sand  they  placed  a  skull  of  an  ox,  and  they  took 


FROM    CONFISCATION    BY    GAMA.  421 

the  bearings  by  the  monastery  of  Saint  Antony,  but  not 
very  exactly,  as  it  was  night,  and  they  went  away  to  sleep 
without  anyone  having  seen  them.  The  next  day,  after  ves- 
pers, the  vicar  went  for  a  walk  on  the  beach,  and  saw  very 
well  where  the  skull  was,  for  there  was  no  other  on  the 
beach,  and  he  took  the  bearings  exactly  with  the  wall  of  the 
monastery ;  and  walking  there  with  other  clergy  to  amuse 
themselves,  he  struck  with  a  javelin  against  the  wall,  and 
the  others  flung  it  also,  so  that  there  remained  good  marks 
upon  the  wall,  and  the  priest  intended  to  come  at  night 
with  a  spit,  with  which  he  would  probe  and  feel  for  it,  and 
find  the  chest.  It  appears  probable  that  some  one  who 
passed  by  kicked  the  skull,  so  as  to  change  its  position 
from  where  it  was,  for  when  the  priest  came  at  night  and 
put  in  the  spit  where  the  skull  was,  he  did  not  find  the 
chest  ;  and  he  passed  a  great  part  of  the  night  searching 
with  the  spit  in  all  directions ;  and  as  neither  he  nor  the 
tutor,  who  also  searched  with  a  spit,  could  find  it,  they 
underwent  much  labour  in  seeking  for  it  every  night ;  and 
the  tutor,  by  daylight,  walking  about  alone,  searched  Math  a 
javelin,  which  he  stuck  into  the  sand  in  all  parts,  taking  the 
bearings  of  the  monastery.  After  many  days  had  passed, 
they  fell  in  with  it,  when  they  were  already  despairing  of 
finding  it ;  for  God  did  not  choose  that  so  great  a  treasure 
should  be  lost.  This  I  heard  related  by  the  vicar-general 
himself. 

The  Viceroy  prepared  ships  to  cruise  along  the  coast  as 
a  fleet,  and  as  he  did  not  find  artillery  in  the  magazines, 
he  ordered  proclamation  to  be  made  as  in  Goa,  that  any 
man  who  had  any  of  the  King's  artillery  should  deliver  it 
up  freely  to  the  magazine,  under  pain  of  death  if  he  did 
not  deliver  it  up,  and  it  was  found  in  his  possession ;  and 
if  any  man  should  have  bought  it,  and  had  proofs  of  it,  he 
would  order  it  to  be  paid  for,  and  his  money  returned  to 
hira.     By  this  means  a  large  quantity  of  artillery  was  col- 


422  ILLNESS    OF   VASCO    DA    OAMA. 

lected,  which  the  traders  gave  up,  because  they  knew  that 
their  vessels  would  not  be  able  to  navigate,  for  there  were 
many  in  Cochym  which  were  drawn  up  on  the  beach,  and 
rotted,  and  were  lost,  because  D.  Anrique  do  Meneses, 
who  was  governor  after  Dom  Vasco,  in  this  and  in  many 
things  followed  his  own  course,  as  I  will  relate  further  on. 
As  information  was  given  to  the  Viceroy  that  in  the  division 
of  the  prize  ship,  Fernan  Martins  Avangelho,  the  factor  of 
the  fleet,  had  gone  shares  with  the  factor  and  clerks  of  the 
factory  in  that  matter,  he  ordered  them  all  to  be  brought 
prisoners  to  Cochym,  with  good  bail ;  and  he  had  very  full 
inquiry  made  upon  all  the  officials,  saying  that  he  would 
learn  by  what  devices  they  enriched  themselves  ;  and  he 
went  on  examining  diligently  into  other  evils,  so  that  with- 
out any  doubt  he  put  India  into  a  very  straight  road  for 
the  good  of  the  King's  service,  and  for  the  good  of  the 
people,  and,  above  all,  very  strict  justice,  which  had  become 
much  perverted. 

For  some  days  the  Viceroy  had  been  suff'ering  from  great 
pains  in  the  neck,  which  had  got  awry,  and  some  boils  came 
to  the  surface  at  the  nape  of  the  neck,  but  very  hard,  and 
they  would  not  ripen  for  all  the  remedies  that  were  applied, 
for  nothing  availed,  and  they  gave  him  such  great  torment 
that  they  did  not  allow  him  to  turn  his  face  in  any  direction. 
At  this  the  Viceroy  was  subject  to  great  fits  of  irritation, 
with  the  heavy  cares  which  he  felt  on  account  of  the  many 
things  which  he  had  got  to  do,  so  that  his  illness  was 
doubled,  and  went  on  getting  worse  until  he  altogether  took 
to  his  bed,  and  from  thence  gave  all  the  necessary  orders, 
with  great  travail  of  spirit,  which  caused  him  to  be  overtaken 
by  mortal  illness,  with  such  pains  as  deprived  him  of  speech. 
In  this  affliction  he  sent  Lopo  Vaz  the  captain,  and  the 
Doctor  Pero  Nunes,  and  Afonso  Mexia,  and  the  auditor, 
with  Vicente  Pegado  the  secretary,  to  go  to  Dom  Duarte 
with  a  deed  of  acknowledgment,  made  out  by  the  secretary. 


MEASURES  TAKEN  AGAINST  D.  DUARTE.         423 

of  how  he  had  received  India  from  him,  and  that  he  had 
delivered  it  up. 

These  persons  vi^ent  to  Dom  Duarte  and  told  him  thisj 
but  he,  who  knew  already  in  what  state  the  Viceroy  was, 
and  was  of  opinion  that  if  the  Viceroy  died  he  should 
remain  in  his  government,  as  it  was  in  his  possession  and 
no  one  had  taken  him  out  of  it,  with  these  thoughts  replied 
that  it  was  not  the  custom  for  governors  to  deliver  up  their 
governorship  and  accounts  at  sea,  as  he  was,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  at  the  gate  of  the  fortress ;  that  he  was  ready  to 
go  and  deliver  it  up  at  once,  but  that  he  was  not  going  to  do 
it  in  any  other  manner.  They  sent  word  to  the  Viceroy  of 
this  message,  and  he  replied  by  a  letter  which  he  sent  to 
Doctor  Pero  Nunes,  that  ho  was  to  toll  Dom  Duarte  that  ho 
was  a  prisoner,  and  would  not  leave  that  ship  except  by 
order  of  the  King  in  Portugal,  and  therefore  he  was  not 
going  to  come  on  shore ;  and  that  they  were  to  give  him 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  delivery  of  India,  if  he  chose  to 
take  it,  because  the  Viceroy  looked  upon  India  as  having 
been  delivered  up  by  him  ;  and  although  he  should  not 
deliver  it  up,  yet  not  on  that  account  would  things  turn  out 
as  he  imagined,  for  this  message  would  undeceive  hira,  and 
his  expectation  would  become  vain ;  after  that  the  mes- 
sengers were  to  return  on  shore,  and  they  did  return.  The 
Viceroy  commanded  that  a  public  act  should  be  drawn  up 
concerning  all  this  by  the  secretary,  in  which  all  attested 
this  which  had  passed  between  them  and  D.  Duarte, ^  and 
the  Viceroy  kept  it. 

>  Correa  relates  the  voyage  home  of  D.  Duarte  and  of  his  brother  D. 
Luis,  who  went  in  another  ship,  and  kept  great  watch  over  D.  Duarte, 
as  he  feared  that  he  might  go  to  Castile  or  to  France ;  on  arriving  at 
Mozambique,  they  obtained  news  by  the  ships  from  Portugal  that  D. 
Duarte's  affairs  were  not  in  so  bad  a  state  as  he  feared ;  they  left 
Mozambique  together,  and  passing  the  Cape  D.  Duarte  said  he  would 
take  in  water  at  Saldanha,  and  that  D.  Luis  should  wait  for  him  at  the 
island  of  St.  Helena.     D.  Luis  went  on,  and  it  was  sui)poscd  he  was 


424  MEASURES  TAKEN  BY  GAMA 


CHAPTER  V. 

Of  the  death  of  the  Viceroy,  and  of  what  he  did  and  ordered  before  his 
death,  and  how  he  was  buried. 

The  Viceroy,  feeling  that  lie  was  ill,  spoke  secretly  at  night 
to  the  guardian  of  St.  Antony,  who  was  his  confessor,  with 
whom  he  consulted ;  and  at  this  conjuncture  there  arrived 
at  Cochym  the  ships  and  vessel  from  Ceylon  with  the  cin- 
namon, which  was  transferred  from  them  into  the  ships 
bound  for  the  kingdom,  which  were  now  almost  laden,  and 
the  Viceroy  hurried  this  on.  He  despatched  at  once  the 
vessel  to  the  kingdom  with  his  letters ;  Francisco  de  Men- 
don^a  went  as  captain  of  it,  and  he  sailed  on  the  first  of 
December. 

Fernan  Gomes  de  Lemos,  who  had  been  captain  there  (in 

lost  in  a  storm  in  wliich  D.  Duarte  also  was  nearly  wrecked.  But  in 
the  year  1536  Diogo  da  Silveira  captured  a  French  pirate,  the  brother 
of  a  pirate  who  had  taken  D.  Luis'  ship,  and  he  confessed  that  they  had 
killed  D.  Luis  and  the  crew  of  his  ship,  which  was  near  foundering,  and 
had  plundered  the  ship  and  set  fire  to  it  with  its  crew.  D.  Diogo  then 
cut  off  the  hands  of  the  pirate's  crew  and  burned  them  in  their  ship ; 
for  which  afterwards  the  French  pirates  committed  great  cruelties  on 
the  Portuguese.  D.  Duarte  made  the  coast  of  Algarve,  and  anchored  at 
Farao,  and  buried  his  money  safely ;  he  then  would  not  go  to  Lisbon, 
but  went  to  Cezimbra  and  landed  with  his  goods,  and  ordered  the  ship 
to  return  to  Lisbon ;  but  a  storm  came  and  drove  the  ship  on  shore  with 
the  cables  broken,  or,  as  some  said,  cut  at  night  in  order  that  it  might 
be  supposed  D.  Duarte's  money  was  lost  there.  The  King  was  much 
enraged  at  the  loss  of  the  ship,  and  D.  Duarte  was  put  in  prison  at 
Torres  Vedras  for  many  years.  The  King  tried  in  vain  to  find  his  money 
at  Farao,  and  at  length,  through  the  intercession  of  Count  Castanheira, 
D.  Duarte  was  set  at  liberty  and  restored  to  his  captaincy  of  Tangiers  : 
and  they  never  found  his  money  for  which  he  had  suffered  so  much. 
This  Correa  wrote  from  hearsay  as  related  by  those  who  came  from  the 
kingdom,  and  (he  says)  all  may  be  lies,  like  all  things  in  this  world  ex- 
cept to  love  the  Lord  God. 


I5EF0KE    HIS    DEATH.  425 

Ceylon),  came  in  the  cinnamon  ship.  The  Viceroy  had 
information  of  him  that  he  was  an  evil  liver,  quarrelsome, 
and  fond  of  divisions,  reckless  in  doing  evil.  He  had  com- 
mitted iniquities  in  Ceylon,  and  a  man  named  Ganchinho  by 
nickname  had  demanded  justice  of  him  from  the  Viceroy, 
for  ho  had  cut  off  his  arm  at  the  elbow,  and  he  was  maimed. 
So  when  the  ship  reached  the  bar  he  sent  thither  the  auditor 
general  to  take  from  him  a  pledge  signed  to  the  effect  that 
ho  would  not  leave  the  ship  without  his  commands  ;  and  if 
he  would  not  give  such  a  pledge,  the  auditor  was  to  bring 
him  as  a  prisoner,  and  shut  him  up  in  irons  in  the  fortress, 
and  collect  the  depositions  which  came  from  Ceylon  :  and 
this  was  done. 

The  Viceroy,  feeling  his  death  approaching,  passed  from 
the  fortress  to  the  houses  of  Diogo  Pereira,  which  were  close 
by  in  the  court  of  the  church.  There  he  summoned  Lopo 
Vaz  de  Sampayo,  and  Afonso  Mexia,  the  overseer  of  the 
revenue,  with  the  secretary,  from  whom  he  took  their  parole 
under  an  oath  to  fulfil  entirely  what  ho  should  command 
them,  until  the  governor  who  might  succeed  him  com- 
manded the  contrary.  The  secretary  drew  up  an  act  of 
this  promise,  which  they  signed.  The  Viceroy  then  dis- 
missed them,  and  made  a  minute  by  which  he  ordered  them 
not  to  stir  nor  undo  anything  of  what  he  had  done,  but 
rather  that  both  of  them  should  do  everything,  and  despatch 
everything  both  in  matters  of  justice  and  revenue,  and  at  his 
death,  when  the  succession  was  opened,  they  were  to  deliver 
up  everything  into  the  hands  of  the  governor  whom  they 
should  find  named  therein,  with  a  box  of  papers  belonging 
to  the  King,  which  his  son  Dom  Estevan  would  deliver  to 
them.  In  these  minutes^  he  gave  all  the  regulations  for 
what  they  had  to  do  until  they  gave  way  to  the  governor  who 
might  succeed. 

*  Probably  this  was  the  document  stolen  from  the  grandfather  of  the 
present  Marquis  of  Niza.     See  Introduction. 


426  DEATH    OF    QAMA. 

Having  done  this,  he  did  not  attend  to  anything  else, 
but  only  confessed  and  took  the  holy  sacrament,  with  much 
perfection  as  a  Catholic  Christian  ;  and  he  made  his  testa- 
ment, by  which  he -ordered  his  sons  to  return  in  those  ships 
to  the  kingdom,  and  to  take  away  all  his  goods,  and  sell 
nothing,  and  to  take  away  all  his  servants ;  and  those  who 
wished  to  remain,  they  were  to  pay  them  all  their  pay  due 
from  the  King  for  the  services  which  they  had  rendered ; 
and  they  were  to  give  all  his  clothes  and  household  furni- 
ture of  silk  to  the  churches  and  hospital ;  and  he  sent  to 
the  women  whom  he  had  ordered  to  be  flogged  at  Goa,  a 
hundred  thousand  reis  for  each  one,  which  were  to  be  given 
them  with  much  secrecy,  and  if  they  should  not  choose  to 
accept  them,  this  sum  was  to  be  doubled,  and  given  to  the 
house  of   Holy  Mercy.     These  women,  with  this   money, 
found  good- husbands,  and  were  married,  and  became  honest 
women.     He  set  his  affairs  in  order  like  a  good  Christian, 
with   all  the  sacraments  of  the  Church,  and  ordered   that 
his   bones   should  be  conveyed  to  the  kingdom,    as    they 
were  conveyed  later  ;  ^  and   speaking  always   with  his  full 
understanding,  he  fulfilled  his  days  when  he  delivered  up 
his   soul  in  the   night  of   Christmas  of  the  holy  birth  of 
Christ,  at  three  o'clock  after  midnight,  on  the  twenty-fourth 
day  of  December  of  this  present  year  of  1524.^     God  be 
praised. 

His  death  was  kept  silent,  without  weeping  and  lamenta- 
tions, and  the  doors  were  closed  all  the  day  till  the  hour  of 
Ave  Maria,  when  everything  was  ready.  Then  his  sons  and 
servants  gave  the  signal  of  his  death  with  very  great  lamen- 
tations;   upon  which    many  gentlemen,   his    relations  and 

'  Vasco  da  Gallia's  remains  were  removed  to  Portugal  in  1538  (not 
1528,  as  the  Univers  Pitioresque  has  it),  and  buried  in  his  tomb  in  the 
town  of  Vidigueira,  of  which  he  was  Count. 

2  Castanheda,  Barros,  and  San  Roman  agree  in  the  date  of  Gam.i's 
death,  eve  of  Christmas  152-4. 


BURIAL    OF   GAMA.  427 

friends,  came  in  to  assist  them ;  and  soon  after  all  the 
people  of  the  city  came  together  in  the  court  of  the  church, 
and  each  one  shewed  what  he  felt. 

The  body,  dressed  in  silk  clothes,  and  over  them  a 
mantle  of  the  Order  of  Christ,  with  a  sword  and  gilded 
belt,  and  gilt  spurs  fixed  upon  dark  buskins^  and  on  its  head 
a  dark  round  barret-cap,  was  placed  in  the  hall,  in  the  bier 
of  the  brotherhood  of  Mercy,  uncovered ;  and  the  gentle- 
men, clothed  in  the  mantles  of  their  order,  bore  it  on  their 
shoulders,  with  many  tapers,  and  followed  by  all  the  people. 
It  was  carried  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Antony,^,  and  buried 
in  the  principal  chapel ;  and  upon  the  tomb  was  a  square 
grating  surrounding  the  grave,  of  the  height  of  a  span, 
lined  with  black  velvet,  and  a  black  and  white  fringe, 
placed  upon  a  velvet  cloth,  which  covered  all  the  grave. 
There  the  next  day  a  great  service  was  performed,  and  all 
the  gentlemen  were  present,  and  his  sons  were  placed  amongst 
the  friars,  and  at  night  they  betook  themselves  to  the  mo- 
nastery and  made  their  lamentations,  as  was  reasonable  on 
losing  so  honoured  a  father,  and  of  such  great  desert  in  the 
kingdom  of  Portugal.  For  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  give  this 
man  so  strong  a  spirit,  that  without  any  human  fear  he 
passed  through  so  many  perils  of  death  during  the  discovery 
of  India,  as  is  related  in  his  history  ;  all  for  the  love  of 
the  Lord,  for  the  great  increase  of  his  Catholic  faith,  and  for 
the  great  honour  and  glory  and  ennobling  of  Portugal, 
which  God  increased  by  His  holy  mercy  to  the  state  in 
which  it  now  is  ;  and  in  order  to  have  some  merit  from  the 
Lord,  for  the  salvation  of  the  soul  of  the  Viceroy,  for  the 
good  desires  with  which  he  laboured  in   the  affairs  of  the 

'  So  also  Kays  Pedro  Barrcto  de  Roscnde;  Barros  and  San  Roman  call 
it  the  monastery  of  St.  Francis ;  Castanheda  says  the  cathedral  of 
(Jochym.  An  article  of  the  Boletim  do  Governo,  Goa,  December  21, 
IHoB,  on  the  subject  of  Gama's  tomVj,  says  he  was  buried  in  the  principal 
chapel  of  the_chiuchj)f  the  Franci8£aojnonasteix.o£CQehym. 


428  GAMA^S    SONS    RETURN    TO    LISBON. 

wonderful  discovery  of  India,  which  it  pleased  the  Lord 
should  be  done  by  him  ;  where  now  are  dedicated  to  His 
holy  praise  so  many  monasteries  and  churches,  and  where 
there  are  so  many  new  Christian  communities  of  so  many 
souls  which  have  been  turned  to  the  true  knowledsre  of  the 
salvation  by  our  holy  faith,  as  we  see  at  the  present  day, 
and  every  day  will  be  with  greater  increase,  by  His  holy 
goodness  and  mercy. 

The  sons  of  the  Viceroy,  Dom  Estevan  and  Dom  Paulo, 
collected  together  his  servants,  and  fulfilled  entirely  their 
father's  commands,  and  both  went  to  the  kingdom  in  the 
ship  of  a  merchant,  and  were  received  with  great  honour  by 
the  King,  who  shewed  much  grief  for  the  death  of  their 
father,  for  the  great  loss  which  he  sustained  by  the  death  of 
of  so  good  a  vassal,  from  whom  he  hoped  to  receive  such  good 
services. 

^  The  cathedral  in  which  Vasco  da  Gama  was  buried  no  longer  exists : 
it  was  destroyed  in  the  manner  described  in  the  following  extract  from 
the  private  journal  of  Mr.  Chisholm  Anstey,  who  visited  Cochim,  Novem- 
ber 9,  1857. 

"The  harbour  of  Cochim  exceeds  my  expectation.... If  it  were  not  for 
the  bar  of  shifting  sand  it  would  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the  known 
world :  as  it  is,  even,  it  will  be  hard  to  match  it  in  India.  The  deepest 
water  is  inside,  just  where  the  wonderful  chain  of  inland  navigation 
called  the  '  backwater'  finds  one  of  its  outlets  to  the  sea.  By  means  of 
that  chain  Cochim  has  not  only  smooth  and  safe  access  to  the  Ghats 
eastward  and  to  the  Carnatic,  but  northward  to  the  Goa  territories,  and 
southward  through  Travancore  to  Cape  Comorin....I  was  agreeably  sur- 
prised with  the  appearance  of  the  town.  It  is  not  that  the  destruction 
was  less  complete  than  the  Vandals  of  Leadenhall  Street  designed.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  hard  to  imagine  a  more  faithful  and  exact  perform- 
ance of  the  will  of  a  superior  than  was  rendered  here  in  1806  by  the 
Company's  Proconsuls  to  their  intelligent  and  honourable  masters.  The 
stupendous  quays,  shattered  into  enormous  masses  by  the  Company's 
mines  of  gunpowder,  still  encumber  the  anchorages,  and  make  embarka- 
tion and  disembarkation  difficult.^  Not  a  vestige  remains  of  most  of  the 
public  btuldings.  The  magnificent  warehouses  of  the  Dutch  East  India 
Company,  which  won  admiration  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  envy 
from  our  own  Company,  were  the  first  to  be  sprung  into  the  air.    There 


COCHIM    CATHEDRAL    DESTROYED    1806.  429 

is  a  solitixry  tower  left — the  '  Flagstaff '  they  call  it  now — to  tell  where 
stood  the  cathedral  of  Cochim,  and  where  the  body  of  Vasco  da  Gama 
was  buried.  His  grave  has  been  defiled  by  us,  and  its  very  place  is 
now  forgotten.  '  You  are  within  fifty  yards  of  it,  but  on  which  side  I 
cannot  say' — was  the  only  indication  which  a  well-read  and  careful  in- 
vestigator of  local  antiquities — himself  a  resident  here  for  some  years 
past — could  give  me  of  the  whereabouts  of  him  who  opened  the  Indian 
Ocean  to  our  commerce — to  all  commerce.  One  church— diverted  from 
the  Portuguese  to  the  Dutch  worship,  and  from  the  latter  to  the  English 
Protestant  establishment — is  the  only  one  which  the  Company's  Guy 
Fauxes  were  pleased  to  spare.  That  too  is  the  only  building  left  us 
whereby  to  justify  our  faith  in  the  chronicles  which  record  the  ancient 
wealth  and  splendour  of  Cochim."  The  journal  then  goes  on  to  state 
that  Cochim  came  into  British  hands  in  1796,  the  British  being  the 
allies  of  the  Stadtholder  ;  and  in  1806  it  was  feared  that  the  ministry  of 
Charles  James  Fox  might  restore  Cochim  and  other  Dutch  colonies  to 
Holland^  and  so  the  only  port  south  of  Bombay  where  large  ships  could 
be  built  would  be  withdrawn  from  the  East  India  Company.  "  So  in 
that  year  the  British  authorities  gave  the  word  to  blow  up  with  gun- 
powder the  fortifications,  public  buildings,  etc.,  etc.,  and  great  was  the 
Company  of  Guy  Faux :  great  also  the  success.  The  Company's  gazetteers 
are  still  able  to  record  that  not  only  war  and  trade  and  government 
were  made  impossible,  but  animal  life  itself.  '  Scarcely  a  private  house,' 
we  are  told,  '  of  any  size  or  value  remained  standing :'  all  who  could  do 
so  'left  the  place;'  'all  who  could  not,'  it  is  coolly  added,  'sunk  into  ab- 
ject beggary,  though  some  formerly  possessed  titles,  and  held  high  rank 
and  station. '...Really  it  cheers  one  to  think  that  there  is  a  complaisance 
which  can  chronicle  such  things,  and  not  be  ashamed!  Still,  ixi  itsruius 
it  is  inviting  enough  :  were  it  not  for  the  misery  of  the  indigent,  which 
its  now  renascent  trade  will  in  time  extinguish.  One  can  trace  out  the 
ruins  for  a  mile  square  from  the  sea,  even  beneath  the  forest  growth  and 
herbage.... Now  that  free  trade  and  liberty  of  the  press  have  wrested 
(1851),  tardily  enough,  from  Leadenhall  Street  the  bare  permission  to 
those  who  will  to  go  out  and  live  at  Cochim,  and  trade  there  if  they 
can,  there  are  signs  of  life  even  amongst  these  ruins.... In  this  wretched 
fishing  village,  for  in  1851  it  was  no  better,  there  are  already  now  in 
1857  seventeen  thriving  mercantile  establishments ;  amongst  them  all 
they  exported  last  year  from  Cochim  not  less  than  £600,000  sterling 
worth  of  Cochim  and  Travancore  produce.... The  Company  has  suffered 
the  backwater  navigation  to  fall  into  ruin.  But  all  is  of  a  piece  with 
the  policy  which  sprung  the  mines  of  1806  upon  the  wharves  and  maga- 
zines of  the  same  commerce.  I  could  not  help  reflecting  thus  as  to-day 
I  saw  the  Persian^  a  ship  of  more  than  700  tons,  lying  off  one  of  the 
ruined  quays  to  which  .she  was  moored,  and  which,  albeit  in  ruins,  was 


430  DESTRUCTION    OF    COCHIM    CATHEDRAL. 

still  so  useful  that  the  cargo  could  be  carried  on  board  along  a  foot- 
plank  without  the  need  of  a  boat.  And  lastly,  the  Cochim  policy  of  the 
Company  is  of  a  piece  with  their  Carnatic  policy.  Where  are  the  52,000 
stupendous  tanks  which  once  irrigated  the  then  fertile  but  now  famine- 
stricken  Carnatic,  so  near  a  neighbour  to  this  place  ?  All  ruined,  dry, 
choked  up !  And  it  has  become  the  necessary  work  of  a  small  body  of 
philanthropists  to  commence  an  agitation  in  England,  to  persuade  or 
compel  the  Madras  government  not  to  deprive  the  people  of  the  means 
of  restoring  those  lost  irrigation  works,  or  replacing  them  upon  as  grand 
a  scale  from  Cavery,  Godavery,  and  other  rivers  now  neglected,  and 
alike  useless  to  the  carrier  as  to  the  husbandman.'" 

Thornton,  McCuUoch,  and  the  French  Geog.  Diet,  of  Guibert  agree 
in  stating  that  this  destruction  took  place  in  1806,  but  no  trace  of  it  is 
to  be  found  in  the  India  Office  or  Admiralty  Indexes.  Thornton's 
Gazetteer  contains  most  information  on  the  subject,  and  refers  to  Edye's 
Description  of  the  Seaports  of  Malabar^  a  book  which  I  have  been  unable 
to  find.  It  is  not  surprising  after  the  destruction  above  described  that, 
two  years  later  in  1808,  when  "  it  was  reported  that  a  French  force 
would  land  on  the  coast  of  Malabar  in  the  course  of  January,  in  antici- 
pation of  this  event,  the  Dewan  (or  minister  of  the  Raja  of  Cochim) 
urged  the  Raja  of  Cochim  to  prepare  to  unite  himself  with  the  Travan- 
corians  and  French  for  the  purpose  of  expelling  the  English  from  the 
country."     Thornton,  Hist,  of  India,  vol.  iv,  p.  119. 


THE    END. 


APPENDIX. 


PORTUGUESE   DOCUMENTS. 

[Excepting  the  first,  these  documents  have  not  before 
been  published ;  some  of  them  are  printed  with  abbrevia- 
tions and  line  for  line  as  they  stood  in  the  original  manu- 
script.] 


APPEND  rx. 


Statement  by  Dom  Manuel  oe  services  renderrd  by 
Vasoo  da  Gama  and  donations  gkanted  to  him. 

[This  document  has  been  taken  from  tlic  Appendix  after  p.  1G5  of  the 
Roteiro  da  Viagem  de  Vasco  da  Gama  por  A.  Uerculano  e  o  BarCio 
do  Castello  de  Paiva.     Lisbon,  18G1]. 

DoM  Manuel  por  graca  de  Deus  Rey  de  purtugal  e  dos 
algarves  daquem  e  dalem  maar  em  afFrica  Senhor  de  guinee 
e  da  comquista  iiavega^ilo  comercio  detyopia  arabya  persya 
o  da  imdia.  A  quamtos  esta  nosa  carta  virem  fazemos 
saber  que  semdo  pello  yfante  dom  ami-rique  meu  tyo 
comec;ado  o  descobrymento  da  terra  de  g^*'  (guinee)  Na  era 
de  my]  iiij'^xxxiij  com  tenca  e  desejo  de  pella  costa  da  dita 
terra  de  guynee  se  aver  de  descobryr  e  achar  a  Imdia  a  qual 
atee  os  tempos  dagora  numca  per  ella  foy  sabida,  nom 
somente  a  preposyto  de  a  estes  Reynos  se  seguyr  grande 
fama  e  proveyto  das  muytas  Riquezas  que  nella  ha,  as  quaes 
sempre  Pellos  mouros  forara  poseydas,  mas  Por  que  a  fee 
de  noso  seilor  por  mais  partes  fosse  espalhada  e  seu  nome 
conliescido  E  despois  el  Rey  dom  afonso  meu  tio  e  el  Rey 
dom  Joam  seu  fillio  queremdo  com  os  mesmos  desejos 
proseguyr  a  dita  obra  com  asaz  mortes  e  despesas  em  seu 
tempo  ate  ho  Ryo  do  Ifante  foy  descuberto  no  ano  do 
iiij'lxxxij^  q^  sam  mil  viii'ixxxv  ligoas  dhomde  primeiro  so 
come^ou  a  descobryr  E  nos  com  o  mesmo  desejo  queremdo 
conseguyr  a  obra  que  ho  dito  Ifante  e  Rex  nossos  amte- 
cessores  tynham  comeQada,  comfy amdo  que  V*^"  da  gama 
lidallguo  de  nosa  casa  era  tal  que  por  o  que  compre  a  noso 
servigo  e  em  comprimento  de  noso  mandado  pospoerya  todo 

1  It  is  stated  in  a  note  in  the  Roteiro  that  this  date  is  erroneous  and 
that  it  is  so  written  in  all  the  copies. 


11  VASCO    DA    r.AMA. 

perigo  de  sua  pessoa  e  avryscamento  de  sua  vida  o  emviamos 
com  nosa  armada  por  capitao  moor  della  craviamdo  com  ello 
paullo  da  gama  seu  Irmaiio  c  Nycolao  coellio  yso  mosmo 
fidallguo  de  nosa  casa  a  bnscar  a  dita  Imdya,  na  qual 
viagem  nos  ele  asy  scrvjo  que  homdc  em  tautos  anos  que 
avia  que  ho  dcscobrym^°  era  comccado  e  a  elle  muytos 
capitacs  emvyados  e  so  descobriram  as  ditas  mviiilxxxv 
legoasj  ele  nesta  ssoo  viajem  descobrio  mill  v'^L  legoas 
liomde  yso  mesmo  descobryo  liuila  grande  niyna  douro  e 
^tas  (ui^itas)  villas  e  cidades  muy  ricas  c  de  grandes  trantos 
o  em  fym  de  sou  descobrymcto  achou  e  descobryo  a  Imdia 
que  per  todo  los  oxry tores  que  ho  mundo  s'preveram  sobre 
todas  as  provyncias  delle  esta  do  Rica  poseram,  a  qual 
todolos  emperadores  e  gramdes  Rex  quo  no  mundo  foram 
ssobre  todas  esta  dessejaram  e  sobro  a  qual  tantas  despessas 
deste  royno  foram  fctas  e  nom  menos  mortos  de  capytaes  e 
outros  jentes  e  nam  somcnte  de  todos  reis  desejadas  de 
possoyr  mas  do  sse  vcr  o  qual  descobrymcto  e  obra  do 
tamtos  tempos  comccada  ele  acabou  no  com  menos  mais  co 
mais  mortes  de  homes  dcspassas  e  perygos  de  sua  pessoa 
do  que  pellos  outros  foy  comecada  e  comtynuada  morrcmdo 
na  dita  viajc  Raullo  da  gama  seu  Trmao  c  asy  a  metado 
da  jcnte  que  cm  toda  a  dita  armada  emviamos,  pasamdo 
nella  muytos  perigos  asy  pella  viajem  ser  muy  lomga 
que  pasou  de  dous  annos  como  tambem  por  nos  fazer  mais 
verdadeira  cnformaca  da  terra  e  cousas  della.  E  veimdo 
nos  o  muyto  sei-vi^oque  a  mos  e  a  nosos  reynos  na  dita 
viajem  c  doscobrymcnto  fe/  e  gramde  pvoveyto  que  nam 
ssomento  a  clles  ditos  nosos  reynos  mas  a  toda  a  christam- 
dade  sse  pode  soguyr  e  daneficamcnto  que  aos  ynfycs  se 
espera  por  atee  o  tempo  dagora  terem  o  logramento  da  dita 
yndia  e  mais  principalmente  pelo  muyto  service  que  ha  noso 
scnor  csperanios  que  sc  ssiga  por  todas  as  jemtes  da  dita 
yTudia  parecer  (]uc  lyjerainente  se  podran  tra/er  a  verdadeiro 
conhecimcnto  de  sua  santa  fco  polio  mnyto  que  ja  de  la  tciu 


VASCO    DA    GAMA.  Ill 

allguus  deles  serem  c  estarem  nela  ymteiramento  confyrm- 
ados,  queremdo  llie  em  allguua  parte  gallardoar  o  muyto  que 
nos  nysto  tem  servido  como  todo  principe  deve  fazer  a  quoles 
que  asy  gramdemente  e  bem  o  servem.  E  por  Ihe  fazer 
vaos  gra^a  e  merce  de  noso  moto  propio  liure  vomtade  certa 
cyemcia  poder  rreal  e  absoluto  sem  nollo  elle  pedyr  nom 
outrem  por  ele,  llie  ffazemos  pura^  livre  e  imrrevogavel 
doa^am  deste  dya  pera  todo  sempre  autre  vivos  valedoyra, 
de  trezemtos  mill  reis  de  rremda  em  cada  huum  anno  de 
juro  e  herdade  pera  elle  o  todos  sous  descemdentes  e  em 
parte  de  pago  delles  Ihe  damos  ha  dizyma  nova  do  pescado 
da  villa  do  synes  e  do  villa  nova  de  mill  forates  asy  e  pella 
maneira  que  ella  a  nos  e  a  coroa  do  rregnno  pertemce  e  ao 
dyamte  pcrtemcer  pode  em  preco  e  contya  de  sasemta  mill 
reis  que  hachamos  que  val  cadanno,  e  posto  que  ao  dyamte 
mais  creca  sera  pera  elle  e  pera  sous  herdeiros  e  se  menos 
valor  nos  nom  seremos  hobrygado  a  Iho  compoer^  a  quail 
dizima  de  nds  tynha  dom  martynho  de  castel  bramquo  veedor 
de  nosa  ffazemda  e  nolla  leixou  pera  a  darmos  ao  dito  vasco 
da  gama  e  a  elle  demos  satisfacam  della  em  outra  parte,  e 
asy  Ihe  damos  e  queremos  que  aja  polas  nosas  sysas  da  dita 
villa  de  synes  cemto  e  trymta  mill  reis  em  cada  huum  anno 
que  he  o  preco  que  rrazoadamente  as  ditas  sysas  hora  valem; 
das  quaees  sysas  queremos  e  mandamos  que  se  nom  faca 
nenhuma  despesa  que  seja  asy  pera  nos  como  pera  noso 
asemtamento  nem  pera  outra  nenhuma  cousa  per  especiall 
que  seja  atee  ele  seer  acabado  de  pagar  da  copya  dos  ditos 
cemto  e  trymta  mill  reis,  e  ho  que  mays  crecer  ho  nosso 
almoxarife  ho  rrecadara  pera  nos  e  se  menos  rremder  ho  que 
ttalecer  avera  pollas  nosas  sysas  de  samtiago  de  cacem,  e  ele 
pohera  de  sua  mao  rrecebedor  na  dita  villa  do  synes  que 
rreceba  e  rrecade  hos  ditos  cemto  e  trimta  mill  reis.  E 
acomtecemdo  do  os  iTcmdeiros  quo  forcm  das  sysas   dolla 

'  Tloro  iMvlfi  ;i  copy  of  tliifi  document  ooulaiiicd  ia  Uic  7'oire  do  Tumlio, 
I'aik'  ;r',  Maro  1,  Doc.  0. 


IV  VASCO    DA    GAMA. 

perderem  ou  nom  quererem  pagai'  corao  saiio  obrigados 
entao  nos  praz  que  elle  dito  vasco  da  gama  ou  aseus  herdeiros 
ou  seu  rrecebedor  posa  costranger  e  ixeccutar  os  ditos 
rremdeiros  polio  que  liasy  deverem  atee  eles  per  emcheo 
sem  quebra  serem  paguos  da  dita  copya  asy  como  farya  ho 
nosso  almoxarife  arrecadamdo  pera  nos  has  ditas  sysas,  ho 
quail  Ihe  emtregard  pera  yso  suas  fyamcas  e  elles  poderam 
apellar  ou  agravar  pera  ho  nosso  comtador  ou  pera  nosa 
fazemda  sse  nyso  semtyrem  serem  agravados.  E  pera  esta 
pagua  ser  mays  certa  e  segura  nos  nom  faremos  nenhuma 
quyta  aos  rremdeiros  das  ditas  sysas  em  case  que  perquam 
nellas.  Outrosy  Ihe  damos,o  queremos  que  aja  elle  e  asy 
sens  descendentes  pollas  nosas  sysas  da  dita  villa  de  samtiago 
quoremta  mill  reis  em  cada  huum  anno  hos  quaaes  averam 
e  Ihe  seram  pages  polio  noso  rrecebedor  dellas  aos  quartees 
d'o  anno  per  emcheo  sem  neles  aver  quebra  paguamdolhe 
primeiro  seu  quartel  que  outra  nenhuma  despesa  que  fa9a  e 
asy  de  quartel  em  quartel  tee  fym  do  anno.  E  asy  mesmo 
Ihe  pagara  aos  quartees  sem  quebra  polla  dita  maneira 
qualquer  dinheiro  que  Ihe  falecese  em  a  dita  villa  de  synes 
pera  comprymento  dos  cemto  e  trymta  mill  reis  levamdo 
certydao  do  noso  comtador  de  beja  da  comtya  que  quebrou 
nas  ditas  sysas  de  synes.  Ao  quail  mamdamos  que  tanto 
que  elas  forem  arremdadas  e  souber  o  que  asy  nelas  ha  de 
quebra  Ihe  dee  logo  a  dita  certidao  e  o  dito  rrecebedor 
cobrara  sseus  conhecimentos  e  os  dard  em  comta  ao  nosso 
almoxarife  ou  rrecebedor  da  dita  villa  de  beja,  ao  qusd 
mandamos  per  esta  que  Ihos  rreceba.  E  quamto  he  aos 
setemta  mill  reis  que  falecem  pera  comprimento  dos  ditos 
trezentos  mill  reis  Ihe  mandamos  logo  dar  e  asemtar  asy  de 
jure  e  derdade  em  a  casa  do  pa9o  da  madeira  desta  cidade 
de  lixboa,  e  ouve  dello  nosa  carta  patemte.  E  per  esta 
mandamos  aos  ditos  nosso  allmoxarife  e  comtador  de  beja 
que  ho  metao  logo  em  pose  da  dita  dizima  do  pescado  de 
synes  e  Iha  leixepa  ther  lograr  e  pesuir  e  rremdar  e  arrecadar 


VASCO    DA    GAMA.  V 

como  Ihe  prouuer  e  asy  Ihe  leixem  aver  rreceber  e  arrecadar 
pera  sy  em  cada  huum  anno  a  elle  e  a  todos  sens  herdeiros 
descemdontes  deste  janeyro  que  ora  passou  da  era  de  mill  e 
quinhemtos  em  dyante  pollas  ditas  sysas  de  synes  hos  ditos 
cemto  e  trynta  mill  reis  na  maneyra  que  dito  he  per  esta 
soo  carta  sem  mais  tyrar  outra  de  nosa  fazemda,  e  por  ho 
trelado  della  que  fycara  rrcgistado  no  liuro  do  dito  allmoxa- 
rifado  Ihe  seram  levados  em  despesa  os  ditos  cemto  e  trimta 
mill  reis  de  synes  e  asy  hos  coremta  mill  reis  que  ha  daver 
em  samtyaguo.  Outro  sy  ho  fazemos  almiramte  da  dita 
Imdya  com  todalas  homrras  priminencias  liberdades  poder 
jurdycam  rremdas  foros  e  direytos  que  com  ho  dito  almi- 
ramtado  per  direito  deve  aver  e  as  tem  ho  nosso  almiramte 
destes  rregnos  segumdo  mais  compridamente  se  contem  em 
seu  rregymento,  as  quaaes  rremdas  e  direitos  se  emtemderam 
dos  lugares  e  terras  que  a  nosso  senhor  aprouver  della  vyrem 
e  estarem  a  nosa  obydyencya.  Outro  sy  nos  praz  e  Ihe 
outorgamos  e  Ihe  fazemos  doacam  e  merce  de  juro  e  derdade 
deste  dia  pera  todo  sempre  que  numca  em  tempo  alguum 
posa  seer  rrevogado  que  ho  dito  vasco  da  gama  e  todos  sens 
descemdontes  que  hcrdarem  e  ouverem  hos  ditos  trezemtos 
mill  rreis  de  rronda  em  cada  vyagem  que  eravyarmos  navyos 
a  dita  Imdya,  emtomdendose  cada  anno  huma  vez,  posam 
mamdar  nelles  duzemtos  cruzados  e  trazcllos  nas  mercadorias 
c[ue  Ihe  aprouver  sem  dclas  nos  pagar  outro  direito  nem 
tr-ibuto  alguum  salvo  pagar  a  vymtenna  ha  hordem  do  christo. 
E  mandamos  aos  nossos  capytaues  e  feitores  que  la  forem 
(jLie  Ihe  levem  hos  ditos  duzemtos  cruzados  e  os  tragam 
empreguados  nas  ditas  mercadoryas.  E  bem  asy  o  ffazemos 
;i  t'lo  dito  vasco  da  gama  de  dom,  e  por  seu  respeito  yso 
mesmo  queremos  e  nos  praz  quo  ay  res  da  guama  o  tareyja 
da  gama  sens  irmauos  sejam  de  dom  e  se  posam  todos  daquy 
em  dyante  chamar  dv  dom  c  asy  sous  fylhos  o  netos  e  todos 
uf[uclcs  que  doles  (li'sci'udei'Ciii.  A  t(u;il  doarani  Ihe  asy 
i'uzciuos  deste  dyn  pera,  todo  sempre  de  juro  e  derdade  como 


VI  VASCO    DA   GAMA. 

(lito  he  sem  ombarguo  de  quaesquer  leix  hordenacoes  direitos 
canonycos  e  cyues  grosas  foros  custumes  opyny5es  de  dou- 
tores  capytollos  de  cortes  o  cousas  que  comtra  esto  sejara  ou 
ao  dyamte  posam  seer  feytas^  as  quaees  todas  e  cada  liuma 
dellas  aquy  avemos  por  expresas  e  deci'aradas  e  por  de 
nenhum  efeyto  e  vygor.  E  queremos  e  mandainos  que  esta 
iiosa  carta  do  doagam  tenha  e  valha  asy  e  tam  compryda- 
mente  como  nella  he  comtheudo  e  prometemos  por  uos  e 
nossos  socesores  que  apos  nos  ham  do  viir  de  numca  hyrmos 
comtra  ella  cm  parte  nem  cm  todo  amtes  ha  fazermos 
sempre  compryr  e  mamter  como  nella  he  contheudo ;  e  asy 
rrogamos  e  emcomendamos  aos  nossos  sobcessorcs  por  nosa 
bemcam  que  nuraca  comtra  ella  vaao  em  parte  nem  em  todo 
amtes  ha  facam  asy  compryr  e  manter  como  nella  he  decra- 
rado  por  quamto  asy  he  nosa  merce.  Outro  sy  queremos  c 
mandamos  que  os  herdeiros  do  dito  vasco  da  guama  quo 
esta  merce  ouvcrem  derdar  so  chamem  da  gama  por  lom- 
branca  e  memory  a  do  dito  vasco  da  gama  e  cm  testemmiho 
e  por  fyrmoza  de  todo  Ihe  mandamos  dar  esta  nosa  carta  per 
nos  asynada  e  aselada  de  nosso  solo  pemdcnte.  Uada  em  a 
nosa  cydade  de  lixbooa  a  dez  dias  do  mes  do  Janeiro:  guaspar 
rroddriguez  a  fez  anno  de  nosso  scnhor  Jhesu  Christo  de 
mill  e  quinhemtos  e  dous. 

Liv.  iii  de  D.  Joao  III,  ful.  1G(J. 


VASCO    DA    QAMA.  Vll 


EoYAL  Order  exempting  Vasco  da  Gama  from  payment  op 

Chancery  Dues  on  his  appointment  as  Viceroy. 

From  the  Torre  do  Tombo. 

xxiij  iiij. 

oficiaes  da  nosa  cli'''*.     A  nos  p^  que  o  qde  da  Vidig*"*  al- 
miramte  das  yndias  nom  pague  os  dez  marcos  de  prita 
Hem  outre  nenhuu  drrto  da  chamcel™  q'  Ihe  pertemcia 
paguar  da  carta  do  poder  que  Ihe  damos  pa  a  Imdia 
pq^  asy  o  avemos  per  bem  e  mandamos  aos  nosos 
q'tadores  q^  se  o  que  nysto  montar  se  caregar  e  recepta 
sobre  o  r°''  da  dita  ch"*  Iho  leve  p  este  e  q'ta 
feyto  e  evora  a  xij  de  m*^"  m®'  de  moura  o  fez  de  v" 
xxiiij°. 

Eey  _  -  - 

{At  the  foot  of  the  page.) 

ho  code 
p^  a  vosa  alteza  q"  q'de  da  Yidig'"'^  no  pague  os  x  tn™^  de 
p'"  ne  out°  nenhu  drrto  da  ch"''  q'  Ihe  ptencia  pagar  da  carta 
do  podor  q'  Iho  dais  pa  a  Imdia  e  q'  se  leve  e  q'ta  ao  R'' 
o  q'  nysto  motar  se  sobre  ele  se  carregar  e  r*^*. 

[At  the  bach  of  the  page.) 

\j  aueiros. 
ficam  caregados  em  Recepta  sobre 
f'  Rolz  R"''  da  chamcel"  vymte 
e  tres  mill  e  q'to  cemtos  r's  q'  se 
mota  e  x  marcos  de  prata  do  oficio 
de  vise  rey  e  capita  mo5r  da  Imdia 
as  iRvi  (96)  fs*^  e  por  certida  delo  fiz 
e  asyney  este  feto  e  eu''  aos  xij  d's 
do  mes  de  marco  de  mill  e  v'^xxiiij". 

p°  GOMEZ. 


^■|11  VASCo    IM    (iAMA. 


Form  in  whtch  Vasco  ba  Oama  did  homaoe  to  King 

John  HI  (jn   wvanh  ai-poin'I'kd  V^ickroy  of  India. 

Torre  do  Tombo,  Coj;po  Ciironologico, 

Part  1,  Ma^o  oO,  Doc.  00. 

Em  euora  a  xxviii  dias  do  mes  de  feucreiro  do  anno  de 
mill  v^xxiiii  nos  paQos  d^  el  Rey  noso  scnnor  dom  vasquo  da 
gama  Comdc  da  vidigueira  almirante  da  Imdia  quo  ora  o 
dito  seniior  omvia  por  scu  viso  rey  as  partes  da  Imdia  e 
pera  nclla  ficar  por  capitam  moor  e  gouernador  das  ditas 
pfirteSj  fez  preyto  c  menagcm  a  sua  allteza  pclla  dita  capitania 
moor  c  governan^a  na  maneira  scguintc  : 

Muyto  alto  muito  eixcelente  princIpe  e  muito  poderoso 
Rey  dom  Joliam  meu  verdadeiro  e  naturall  Rey  e  s'or.  Eu 
dom  Vasquo  da  gama,  comde  da  Vidigueira  almirante  da 
Imdia  que  ora  vosa  allteza  emcarega  de  voso  viso  Rey  ca.pi- 
tam  mor  e  gouernador  nas  partes  da  Imdia  vos  fa9o  preito 
e  menagcm  pella  dita  capitanya  mo5r  e  gouernan9a.  E  vos 
prometo  que  vos  acollierey  e  Receberey  em  todas  as  fortc- 
lezas  que  na  Imdia  e  fora  della  tendes  e  ao  diamte  teuerdes, 
6  era  cada  hua  delas  no  alto  e  no  baixo  irado  e  paguado^ 
com  poucos  e  com  muytos^  imdo  vos  em  vosso  liure  poder 
e  farcy  guerra  e  Inanterey  paz  e  trcguoa  a  qucm  vos  s'or  me 
mandardes.  E  nam  entrcguarey  a  dita  capitania  moor  e 
guovcrnamca,  nem  as  ditas  fortelczas  e  cada  huiia  delas  e 
armadas  de  naaos  e  navios  de  vosa  alteza,  nem  nenhuua 
outra  cousa  que  como  voso  capitam  mor  e  guovernador  das 
ditas  partes  a  meu  carreguo  esteuerem,  saluo  a  quem  vos 
sennor  me  mamdardes  e  me  apresemtar  vosa  carta  por  vos 

1  Irado  e  jiaguado.  Pcaguado  for  pagado ;  Latin  pacatus,  opposed  to 
irado;  fortresses  in  a  peaceful  and  in  a  revolted  state;  form  of  pligliting 
homage.      Vide  Ordena^ao  Mannelina,  liv.  i,  t.  50,  §  4. 


VASCO    DA    GAM  A.  IX 

asinada  e  aselada  do  voso  selo  redomdo  das  vosas  armas,  E 
sendo  caso  que  algiius  capitaes  das  ditas  fortelezas  tyre  e 
ponlia  nelas  outros  por  asy  o  aver  por  voso  serui9o,  aqueles 
que  asy  poser  tomarey  em  voso  nome  fee  preito  e  menagem 
por  as  ditas  fortelezas,  asy  como  hee  custume  de  vosos 
Regnos  se  tomarem  as  ditas  menagees.  E  vos  prometo  e  dou 
minha  fee  preito  e  menagem  que  em  todo  o  que  tocar  ao 
dito  carreguo  de  capitam  moor  e  guovernador  vos  sirua  fiel 
e  vex'dadeira  e  lealmente  asy  corao  devo  e  sam  obriguado  o 
fazer  a  meu  verdadeiro  e  naturall  Rey  e  seniior  em  bo5a  fee 
sem  malicia  emguano  arte  cautella  nem  fimgimento  alguu.  A 
quail  fee  preito  e  menagem  vos  faco  huua  duas  tres  vezes 
segumdo  foro  uso  e  custume  destes  vosos  Regnos.  E  por 
certidam  disso  asyney  este  por  minlia  maao  testemunhas 
que  a  alio  foram  presentes  o  comde  do  vemioso  e  bertolameu 
de  payua  amo  de  sua  allteza  e  eu  o  secretario  que  esta  fiz 
spreuer  e  aquy  sobspreuy  no  dito  dia  mes  e  era  sobre  dita. 

Ho  conde  do  vymyoso.    Ho  comde  almirante.    Bertolameu  de  paiua.^ 

'  A  facsimile  of  these  signatures  is  given  in  the  plate  :  this  signature 
of  Vasco  da  Gama  is  about  the  only  one  extant. 


VASf'O    DA    (iAMA. 


Letter  of  the  Chamber  of  Goa  to  King  John  IIT,  datkd 

Oct.  31,1 524,  announcing  the  arrival  of  Vasco  da  Gama 

AS  Viceroy.     From  the  Torre  do  Tomro. 

per  liiys  Frz^  colaco  que  a  vosa  alteza  tinhamos  em- 

viado  per  precuradoi'  nos  ffoy  dado  a  reposta  das  cartas 

que  desta  cidade  levou  e  asy  a  conifFyrmacao  de  nossos 

privilegios  com  o  despacho  dos  apomtametos  e  asy 

a  sancii  do  estorm'''  dos  officios,  todo  bem  despachado  co- 

mo  esperavamos,  e  por  todo  beigamos  as  maaos  a  vosa 

Alteza,  e  nao  podemos  uegar  que  o  amor  e  boa  v5tade 

que  o  s"''  vosso  padre  que  santa  gloria  ajaa  tinha 

a  esta  cidade  e  aos  moradores  dela  he  esquecido  segudo 

vemos  polas  muytas  merces  que  nos  ffaz,  asy  em  nossos 

despachos  como  emtodo  o  mais  que  por  nosa  pai^te  Ihe 

he  pidido,  e  sempre  nos  e  nossos  ff'®  rrogaremos  e  pidy- 

mos  ao  s"""  d^  que  os  d-  (dias)  e  estado  rreal  de  vosa  alteza 

acrecemte  a  seu  s''''vifo. 

ho  comde  da  Vidig'"^  cliegou  a  esta  cidade  aos  xxiij  d"  de  set'° 

da  era  presente  de  v'^xxiiij  com  nove  velas,  dizem  (|ue 

fFaltam  cinquo  pera  o  comto  das  que  de  la  partiram 

com  ele,  parece  nos  que  vem  com  boaa  teracao  e  desojo- 

so  de  servir  vosa  alteza  e  fFazer  justica  as  partes  q 

muito  copre  nesta  tra,  polo  que  vymos  que  nesta  cidade 

ffez  eses  poucos  dias  que  nela  esteve  em  desagravar 

muitas  pessoas,  e  alimpar  erros  de  vosa  ffaz*'"'" 

que  heram  ffetos,  ffoi  rrecebido  de  nos  nesta  cidade  com 

aquela  honra  que  merecem  os  quo  amao  a  justica  e  cHpre 

vossos  mandados     Apresontamos  Ihe  nossos  p"vilcgios 

e  liberdndes,  em  todo  disc  que  os  c5priria  como  per  vosa 

'   FcTuainlt'z. 


VASCO    DA    GAMA.  XI 

alteza  nos  he  outorguado,  e  polo  pouco  t'po  que  estevo 

nesta  cidade  nao  pode  despachar  alguuas  cousas  que 

Ihe  rrequerimos  e  por  se  achegar  o  t'po  de  ffazer  a  carga 

da  pimenta,  ne  quis  tomar  conhecim'"  de  muitas  cousas  que 

ffiquam  pera  sua  vinda  e  a  seg''°  qua  socedem  as  cousas  nam 

Ihe  compre  repousar  o  que  ele  traz  por  carego  como  teinos 

visto. 

muitas  p"^*  Ihe  fforao  com  alguus  s*''viQos  como  se  cus- 

tuma  fazer  aos  governadores  quando  vem  novam'%  nao 

quis  tomar  nada  a  xpuo  nem  a  mourOj  ne  menos  ha 

esta  cidade,  o  que  avemos  qua  todos  por  estranho,  por 

estar  em  custume,  tomarse  tudo. 

deixou  por  capitao  nesta  cidade  a  dom  Anrique  de  me- 

neses  por  nao  pasar  dom  fFernado  que  se  diz  vir  por  capitao, 

niio  podemos  dizer  dele  se  nao  o  que  se  deve  dizer  de  hu 

bom  ffidallgo,  e  ssomos  dele  tratados  como  he  rrezaao 

e  justi^a  e  o  vosa  Alteza  manda  e  emcomeda. 

Em  todas  as  cartas  que  temos  esp"tas  a  vosa  alteza  Ihe 
temos  dado  comta  desta  cidade  e  de  seu  nobre  cim''"'°  e  dos 
moradores  portugeses  que  nela  vivem,  com  suas  molhe- 
rres  e  fi^%  e  ora  nesta  nos  parece  rezao  que  o  ffa^amos 
e  nos  parece  que  os  purtugeses  que  ao  p''''sente  aqui  sao 
casados  e  estao  d'aserato  serao  quat'°  cemtos  e  cimqoeta 
e  nao  se  pode  em  certo  dizer  os  que  sao  por  handarem 
espalhados  por  muitos  partes,  e  destes  que  sabemos  sao 
jjjtos  ffidalgos,  e  cavaleiros  e  escudeiros  vossos  cryados 
e  outras  pessoas  de  m'°  merecimento,  que  m'°  s"Vico  tem  fFeto 
a  vosa  alteza,  asy  nestas  partes  como  em  outras  de  vosos 
reinos,  os  quaes  tem  ff^^  e  ff'^^  pera  casar  e  ja  deles 
casados  nesta  cidade,  e  pois  asy  esta  per  D*  hordenado 
que  ajamos  de  deixar  nosas  naturezas  por  povoar 
esta  tra,  pidimos  a  vosa  alteza  que  se  lebre  de  no- 
ssos  s«''viQos  e  os  que  se  espera  que  ffacao  nossos 

E  qnamto  e  alguas  obras  que  saiio  fletas  nesta  cidade 


XU  VASCO    DA    GAMA. 

principalm'*'  he  o  moest'"  de  sao  ffr*=°  que  podemos  di^er 
ser  acabado,  e  se  diz  que  he  das  melhores  casas  que  pode 
aver  em  vossos  rreinos  asy  de  b5os  rreligiossos 
como  das  outras  obras,  e  p'llo  comseguinte  huu 
esptal  que  ffez  ffr'=°  p'*  junto  da  porta  de  santa  c"  desta 
^idade,  que  ainda  nuo  sabemos  out™  melhor  tirade  ho  do 
Hxboa,  o  que  e  gramde  rrefi'rigerio  pera  os  e- 
fFermos  com  a  boa  provisao  que  tern,  e  bem  ffoy 
necesario  estar  ffeto,  pelos  muitos  doentes  que  vierilo 
nesta  harraada  do  comde. 

E  asy  se  ffez  huu  quais  de  pedra  no  maar  da  porta  da 
rib"""  que  isso  mesmo  madou  ffazer  ffr™  p''"',  o  que  he 
gramde  nobrecim^°  desta  cidade,  por  ser  m'"  boa  obra 
homde  se  cheguo  gales  e  ffustas  e  out™^  navies 
pcquonos  a  descaregar  e  a  tomar  o  que  Ihe  he  nece- 
sario, outras  obras  algiias  nuo  sao  fFetas  mais 
das  que  herao,  e  os  que  mais  ffez  ffr''°  p"  o  t'po  que 
aqui  esteve  por  capituo  la  as  sabera  vosa  alteza. 

Nos  ffezemos  lembran^a  ao  comde  sobre  o  coregiui'^''  dos 
muros  desta  cidade,  ffblgou  m'°  com  isso,  e  o  vyo,  e  ma- 
dou a  dom  Amrique  nosso  capitao  que  ffizese  p^llo  co- 
me^ar  do  chapar,  pidymos  a  vosa  alteza  que  todavia 
made  que  se  ponha  maao  nele  e  se  coreja  do  necesa- 
rio, porque  nao  he  vosso  s^'^vi^o  estar  asy, 

E  quanto  he  as  obras  das  casas  que  tem  ff  etas  os  moradores 
saom  boaas,  e  ffazem  cada  dia,  e  dentro  da  cerqua  da  cidadc 
niio  ha  cliaao  despouoado  nem  cabe  a  jemto  que  he 
casada,  e  vivem  muitos  ffbra  nos  arrabaldes  por  niio 
podcrcm  hy  all  ffazor  por  serem  muyto  pobres. 

A  trii  ffyrme  que  ganhou  Rui  de  melo  que  nesta 
9idade  esteve  por  capitaao,  ffby  emtrada  dos  mouros 
que  a  soyam  de  pesuir,  em  o  mes  d'abryl  de  v'^xxiiij 
e  a  tem  por  sua,  e  a  prim"  tanadaria^  quo  tomariio  ffoy 
a  de  perna  que  he  da  bauda  do  maar  hddc  caty  varani 
*   J)istri(l  i)f  ;i   I'uiiadar,  nriir  (Jnu. 


VASCO    ]-»A    GAMA.  XIU 

dous  portuo-eses,  e  liuu  deles  tanadar,  os  quaes 

estao  cativos  na  fforteleza  de  bylgao  de  que  he  capituo 

o  cuffilary,  a  culpa  de  se  perder  a  tra,  nao  julga- 

mos,  aquc  se  deve  daar,  pore  dom  duarte  G"""  que 

fFoy  nestas  partes  estava  na  bara  desta  cidade  c5 

armada  prestes  pera  ir  caminlio  d'ormuz^  e  Ihe 

flfoy  dcto  que  acudise  que  co  pouqua  jente  deitaria 

OS  mouros  ffora  da  tra,  respomdeo  que  o  niio  podia 

flazer  per  que  estava  de  caminho  e  que  aimda  q 

se  perdere  Goaa,  que  nao  deixaria  de  ir  a  ormuz,  ho 

que  era  pouquo  necesario  por  o  que  copria  a  vosso 

srvigoj  seu  irmao  dom  luis  de  meneses  tambe 

neste  tpo  era  nesta  cidade,  e  se  ffoy  emvernar 

a  cochy,  e  levou  toda  a  jente  que  pode  e  por 

ser  na  emtrada  do  imberno  creceram  os  mouros 

e  se  emposaram  da  tra,  e  todavia  ffr"°  P™   (Pereira)  pa- 

ssou  alem  do  ryo  co  esa  jemte  que  tynha  na 

cidade  que  era  bem  pouqua,  e  co  tudo  nao  pode  hy 

fFazer  mais  que  largalla. 

OS  cavalos  que  vieram  este  Ano  darmuz  a  esta  cidade 
fforam  mil  iij'^Kiij  (3  43)  cavalos  afFora  trimta  e  seis 
que  moreram,  e  porque  mais  nao  vieram,  ffoy 
a  causa  disso  ho  levamtameto  que  flPoy  em  Armuz 
este  anno  nos  parece  que  vinram  mais,  p^llo  trato 
darmuz  ffiquar  asetado  co  os  merquadores. 

tamto  que  o  code  chegou  a  esta  cidade  Amtre  out'"* 
cousas  que  Ihe  rrequerimos,  por  parte  da  cidade  e 
povo  dela  Ihe  ffezemos  huus  apotam'°®  que  em 
camara,  per  acordo  de  todo  o  povoo  fForao  fiFetos 
em  OS  quuaes  nos  agravamos  a  elle,  dallguuas 
sem  rrezoees  e  agravos,  que  por  fFr""  p'"''  nosso  ca- 
pitao  que  flfoy  fforam  ffetos  a  m''"^  moradores 
desta  9idade,  e  nao  tamto  p'Uo  de  suas  pessoas 
que  cada  huu  per  sy,  se  podia  agravar,  mas  pllo 
que  toqua  aos  pvilegios  e  liberdades  que  per 


XIV  VASCO    DA    CJAMA. 

el  rey  vosso  padre  que  santa  gloria  ajaa  nos 
fforam  dados,  e  ora  per  vosa  Alteza  novam**  coflyr- 
mados,  que  em  muita  parte  ffoy  cotra  ellcs 
asy  como  empreder  muitos  cidadaos  no  troqo  cm 
fferros  sem  por  que,  ne  querelas  ne  estudo  f^uo 
deles  tevese,  era  que  nos  ffoy  cotra  os  ditos 
pvilegioSj  e  p'Uo  comsegulte  em  madar  tomar 
A  alguus  moradores  suas  casas  da  morada  pera 
apousetar  outras  pessouas,  lam9ando  ftbraa 
delas  suas  molheres  e  ff'%  no  que  ffoy  contra 

05  dctos  pvilegios,  e  isso  raesmo  era  miidar  ha- 
travesar  todos  os  mantym^"  nos  passes  que  pa 
esta  cidade  vynhara  pera  caregar  suas  naaos 

6  tomar  a  rre vender  nesta  cidade.     e  em  daar 
OS  officios  a  homes  ssolteyros  daquelles 

de  que  nos  vosa  alteza  tern  ffeto  raer9e,  como 
ffoy  o  paso  de  manoel  de  sampaio  q  vagou 
outrosy  ffoy  cotra  os  dito  pvilegios,  em  miidar 
meter  no  tronquo  aos  juizes  hordenairos  q 
saim  per  imlicao  co  suas  varas,  e  ao  pp''"''  da 
cidade,  por  rrequerer  o  que  copria  a  sen  liofficio 
o  madar  meter  no  troquo  em  fferros  e  tomar 
as  varas  alguus  almotaceis  e  as  quebrar 
em  peda9os,  e  as  pennas  dalmotacaria  q 
p'llos  almotaceis  eram  julgadas  p''  a  ca- 
mara  nao  querer  que  se  levase,  em  que  a  cidade 
recebeo  perda,  e  outras  cousas  que  nos  ditos 
apomtara*""^  se  cotinham,  os  quuaaes  ffezemos 
p*  que  o  code  os  visse  e  nisso  ffezese  o  que  sctyse 
por  mais  vosso  svi90  os  quuaes  ele  vio  e  por 
estar  de  caminlio  p'^  cocliy  naora  pode  mais  niso 
emtemder,  e  se  rremeteo  todo  a  dom  Amriq  noso 
capitiio,  e  sobre  os  dctos  apr)tam^°*  se  procesava 
ffcto  que  ascgumdo  sen  ffnmdum'"  se  hordcnavao 
gramdes  gastos  ao  povo  dcsta  cidade^,  .sobre  o  rj'  He- 


VASCO    DA    GAMA.  XV 

zemos  camara  e  per  pregao  ffoy  chamado  todo 

ho  povo,  e  per  todos  ffoy  acordado,  q'  os  ditos  apo- 

tamentos  iiiio  fforao  dados  ao  code  p"  se  ffazere 

demandas  ne  os  homes  gastare  suas  ffaz''"^^  com 

|j'j,co  pra^  ssom*®  p'^  que  ele  pelo  poder  que  traz  de 

vosa  alteza  provese  nisso,  como  fFose  vosso 

ivico  e  que  isso  mesmo  o  escrevesemos  a  vossa 

Alteza  acerqua  dos  dctos  Apomtam'°^  p'llo  que  toqava 

aos  pvillegios  desta  fidade,  por  nos  sytirmos  ha- 

gravadoSj  em  nos  hyrem  cotra  eles  no  que  dcto  he 

nam  tam  ssom*'®  em  especial,  mas  geralm'^'^  como  he 

notorioj  e  por  vermos  que  a  detrimina9ao  destas  cou- 

sas  se  perlomgava  e  ffr*^°  p""*  ter  posto  ssospei9aao 

a  todos  OS  moradores  desta  cidade,  asy  a  ofEciaaes 

da  justi9a  como  a  outras  p*^  e  a  tal  ssospei^ao  Ihe 

ser  rrecebida,  cesamos  de  mais  falar  nos  ditos 

apomtam*"^  com  o  parecer  do  povo,  e  o  noteffiqamos 

a  vosa  alteza,  a  que  pidymos,  quanto  a  ir  o  dito 

flppco  pra  comtra  nossos  pvilegios  que  imteiram''® 

nos  guarde  nosa  justica  e  mande  saber  a  verdade 

por  p''^  sem  ssosp**  que  nao  pode  ser  que  Autre  quinhetos 

moradores  que  ha  nesta  cidade  nao  ajaa  vyte 

em  que  nao  ajaa  ssospeicao,  e  que  nao  queiraao 

mal  a  fFr""  p™,  por  que  esperamos  provar  imteiram*® 

ele  nos  ir  cont*  os  dctos  pvilegios  no  que  dito  he 

e  da  por  escusa  que  Ihes  nao  noteffiquamos 

quamdo  Ihe  foy  etrege  a  fforteleza  desta  cidade  per 

Rui  de  mello,  etam  Ihe  fforam  lidos  e  noteffiquados 

p*""  OS  officiaaes  da  camara,  e  jurou  aos  satos 

avamgelhos  de  os  c5prir,  e  asynou  o  juram*°  ao 

pee  no  livro  da  camara  como  se  veraa. 

Vosa  alteza  tem  ffeto  merce  aos  moradores  desta 

cidade  que  os  officios  dela  asy  de  vosa  ffazenda  como 

da  justica  hamdem  neles  de  tres  Anos,  e  naquelas 

p*^"  em  que  couberem  como  mais  lai'gam*^^  se  cotem 


XVI  VASCO    DA    GAMA. 

na  carta  da  merce  dos  d'ctos  officios^  e  por  que  vemos 
que  destes  que  Lao  de  ser  em  tres  anos  os  te  depois 
de  nosa  carta  alguuas  p'^'^  em  sua  vida,  ssomos 
nisso  agravados,  asy  como  he  cry  sua  q'  tern  qat™ 
officios  e  p°  g'^°  tres,  e  em  outros  cada  hu  seu  que  na 
nomeamos  pidymos  a  vosa  alteza  que  officio  algu 
nam  proveja  nesta  cidade  em  vida  ssom^''  de  tres 
em  tres  anos  por  que  na  ffiquam  de  ffora  se  nao 
sete  ou  oyte  officios,  e  destes  tomamos  o  que  nos 
qua  daao,  Atee  o  psente.     E  asy  pidymos  a  vosaa 
alteza  que  aja  por  bem  q  destes  officios  que  ouvere 
de  ser  provides  pelo  G''°''  ou  pelo  capitao  da  fForteleza 
q  a  psemtacam  dos  homees  p*  eles  seja  da  camara 
por  que  todos  ajam  parte  da  merce  que  llie  per 
vosa  alteza  he  fFeta  porque  m**^  vezes  acotece  hos 
carreguos  se  dare  mais  per  aderecia  que  per  me- 
rrecym*" . 

e  quainto  alguus  officios  que  deve  s'^'"  provides 
em  vida  ja  sobre  isso  escrevemos  a  vosa  alteza,  por 
nos  parecer  ser  svico  de  d's  e  vosso,  como  ssaao  os 
tabalyaaes  das  notas,  e  do  Judiciaal  e  da  camara 
por  que  sao  careguos  que  nao  he  bem  que  hamden 
por  tres  arios,  se  nao  em  vida  das  p"'^  que  fforem 
p*  OS  servire,  e  os  tabaliaaes  das  notas  que 
vosa  alteza  mada,  que  se  dem  em  vida,  asy  se  ffara. 
pelas  armadas  que  de  qua  fforao  em  tpo  de  dom  duarte 
temos  escrito  a  vosa  alteza  largam'*'  m*''*  cousas  desta 
cidade,  e  asy  da  Imdia,  e  nos  parece  escusado  nesta  mais 
exp''''ver  por  que  os  cousas  ffetas  nao  se  podem  escoder 
praza  ao  sor  Ds,  que  os  d's  e  estado  Re  [al  de]  vosa  alteza 
acrecente  a  seu  svico,  exp'^'ta  na  cam  [a]  ra  da  d'cta 
cidade  de  goaa  ao  deradeiro  dia  d'out™  luis  alurz  a  ffez 
era  de  i  v'^xxiiij  aiios, 

cristova  a°  (affonso)  di*^*  y°,  [Solyz?]  Pay"  Royz,  p"  gonlz. 


VASCO    lU    OA.MA.  xvii 


Falla  que  fez  Dioao  do  Couto  na  Camara  de  Coa  ao 

CoNDE  DoM  Francisco  da  Gama  quando  nella  posiokao 

o  Retrato  de  seu  Vizavo  D.  Vasco  da  Gama. 

(EvoRA  Library,  Cod.  ^,  N^  ],  r.  268.) 

A  cousa  de  que  se  mais  prezavao  aquellas  faniosas  Rc- 
publicas,  Grega  e  Romana,  111"^"  jSTir,  era  de  satisfuzerem 
grandes  merecimentos  com  grandes,  e  publicos  gallardoeus 
dando  a  seus  famosos,  tituloa  e  nomes  soberbissimos,  e 
alevantando  Ihes  estatuas  nilo  so  era  os  Senados^  mas  ainda 
em  OS  lugares  mais  publicos  de  todos  pera  com  isso  incitarcm 
aos  mais,  a  fazerem  cousas  dignas  de  semelhantes  galardoens. 

Assim  esta  Republica  de  Goa,  niio  menos  ordenada  quo 
todas  as  do  mundo,  querendo-as  imitar  em  cousa  tao  justa 
tratou  de  remunerar  e  em   parte   satisfazer,  os  muitos,  o 
muito  notaveis  merecimentos  deste  valeroso  capitao,  e  novo 
descubridor   o    S'iir   D.   Vasco    da    Gama  priraeiro   Condo 
Almirante,  Visavo  de  V.  S%  pondo  os  olhos  nos  grandes  e 
muito  proveitosos  services,  que  fez  a  coroa  de  Portugal,  e 
no  muito  que  todo  este  estado  Ihe  deve,  por  ser  a  primeira 
pedra  fundamental   delle.     Rompendo  por  tantos  riscos  o 
perigos,   por  tao  varios,   e   apartados    climas,   descobrindo 
novos  ceos,  notando  novas  estrellas,  provando  dii  e  d'  outro 
polio  a  aspereza,  vencendo  e  sobjugando  os  feros  e  indomitoa 
phocas  e  monstros  marinlios,  abrindo  por  meio  delles  novo 
caminho  para  que  todos  podessemos  vir  buscar  as  riquezas 
deste  oriente  com  que  nao  so  o  nosso  reino  de  Portugal, 
mas  ainda  todos  os  da  Europa  tanto  se  engrandeceruo.     8e 
este  negocio  sucedera  em  tempo  d'  aquelles  antigos  Poetas, 
com  muita  mais  razao  poderao  colocar  entre  os  signos  e 
Planetas    aquella    fermosa    Ndo    S.    Gabriel    em    q    este 
valeroso    Capitao    descubrio    ao    mundo    tao    maravillosos 


XVm  VASCO    DA    tiAMA. 

segredos,  do  quo  o  fizeriio  aquella  argos  de  Jassiio  de  quein 
tantos  cousas  fabullarao.  Se  aquelle  Americo  A-^espusio  q 
descobrio  essas  Indias  occidentales,  que  os  Geographos 
poserao  pella  quarta  parte  do  mundo,  ficou  nelle  tuo  famoso 
q  toda  aquella  terra  se  cliamou  delle  America,  coDservando 
em  si  o  nome  de  seu  descubridor :  com  quanta  mais  razilo, 
esta  parte  da  Asia  q'  este  nosso  insigne  capitao  nos  descubrio 
se  podera  chamar  A  Gama  por  conservar  com  tiio  ilustre 
apelido  a  memoria  de  raor  feito  que  houve  depois  que  13s 
creou  o  mundo  ate  [agora.  Mas]  foi  tal  o  esquecimento 
neste  estado  que  nem  em  nome  nem  em  estatua  havia  delle 
memoria,  o  q  nao  lie  em  Portugal  aonde  se  conserva  na 
amplissima  geracao  que  delle  procede  e  na  111"^'^  casa  de 
Vidigueira  de  q  V.  S'^  he  dignissimo  erdeiro,  a  qual  tem 
brotado  desy  varoens  tao  insignes  q  muito  bem  podera  este 
estado  da  India  ter  serapre  andado  nas  suas  maos  muito 
seguramente. 

E  querendo  estes  P*"^  conscriptos  remedear  este  descuido, 
vendo  q  entre  estes  insignes  Varoens,  Ihe  era  a  elle  com 
rezao,  devido  o  primeiro  lugar  (determinaram)  de  Iho  dar 
no  so  neste  Senado,  mas  ainda  levantaremllie  estatua  sobre 
a  principal  porta  desta  cid"'  para  os  q  por  ella  entrarem,  cm 
pondo  OS  olhos  nelle,  se  leinbrem  do  m'^°  q  todos  Ihe  devemos. 
E  ainda  q  este  ato  se  nao  celebre  com  a  solenid'^  devida  a 
tao  valeroso  capitao,  todavia  he  com  tanto  gosto,  e  aplauso 
de  todos  estes  cidadads  que  nao  ha  nenhfi  q  nao  deseje  de 
ser  elle. 

Por  estes  services  e  por  todos  os  mais  q  todos  os  q  somos 
va^alos  de  sua  Mag"'*'  pretende  de  fazer,  assi  a  elle,  como  a 
V.  S.  Ihe  pede  ponha  os  olhos  no  grande  amor  e  alvoroco 
com  q  todos  festejao  este  ato  p''  q  assim  lembrandolhe  as 
obriga^oens  emq  por  isso  fica  aesta  cid*'  a  queira  honrrar  e 
favoreger  com  Ihe  guardar  sens  foros  previlegios  e  liberdades; 
e  com  isso  remunerar  e  satisfazer  os  services  e  merecim*"^ 
dos  cavall'"'"'  cidadaos  que  morrerao  em  servico  do  seu  Key  : 


VASCO     DA    flAMA.  XIX 

com  llic  despacliar  o  rciuedear  suas  fillias  pobres  e  orfaas 
p''  q  assitri  entendaiuos  todos,  q  iiao  foi  este  nosso  service 
tbito  em  vao,  e  primitria  o  ser  meo  da  obra  tao  Santa  dar  a 
V.  S"  tantos  et  tao  croicas  vitorias^  que  por  ellas  mereca  ser 
colocado  a  ilharga  do  Dignlssimo  Visavo^  e  que  me  aja  eu 
por  m''^  ditoso  ter  mc  cabido  a  soi'te  de  escrever  a  historia 
da  India  como  S.  Mag'''^  me  manda,  para  que  pollas  grandezas 
q  do  V.  S"  espero  escrever  venha  a  ser  tao  conhecido  no 
mundo  como  foi  llomcro  por  escrever  as  de  Achilles. 


XX  VASCd    DA    (iAMA. 


Letter  oe  Duarte  Bakbosa  to  the  King  about  the  rising 

UP  OE  the  people  of  Cananor  through  the  excesses 

OP  DioGO  CorreAj  and  how  he  and  the  Captain 

Major  appeased  them  ;  dated 

Cananor,  Jan.  12, 1518. 

(Torre  do  Tombo,  Part  I,  Mac/o  12,  Due.  50.) 

Sennor 

Alem  da  obriguacam  eiu  q,  ja9o  ao  ofi(,>io  de  scrivaiu  do 
que  me  vosa  alteza  fez  merce  miulia  coindicani  he  falar 
seupre  v''"dade  primcypalmente  naquelas  cousas  que  tocam  a 
voso  s''vi90  e  parece  me  q,  me  nam  faria  Ds  mercc  se  nam 
escrevese  craramemte  as  cousas  de  cananor  a  vosa  alteza 
p'que  estas  sam  as  que  eu  sey  lympamente,  asy  pla  lymguua 
como  p""  sabr  de  muyto  tempo  q,  qua  estybe  da  outra  vez. 
OS  tratos  e  costumes  e  comdicoes  asemtadas  plo  almy'ramte 
e  comfirmadas  plos  outros  capitaes  mores  q  atee  guora  foram, 
o  que  avemos  de  g'dar  ao  Key  e  a  jemte  da  trfa  q  segumdo 
vosos  Regm*°^  e  mamdados  he  g^'dar  Ihe  muyta  v^''dade  e  ter 
com  ele  v"'dadeyra  paaz,  as  quaes  cousas  em  algua  maneyra 
sam  quebradas  como  vosa  alteza  la  vera  plos  ebayxadores  e 
cartas  del  Rey  de  cananor. 

Eu  cheguey  aquy  ho  anno  de  1511  com  dom  ayres  e  ho 
capytam  moor  era  em  malaca  e  doxara  nesta  fortaloza 
di^correap  capitam  ho  qual  com  suas  tyi-anyas  o  desconfiamcas 
e  Rispeda  comdicam  tynha  a  jemte  da  trra  casi  alevantada 
comtre  sy,  despeytando  os  e  amegamdo  os  com  o  capitam  moor 
queremdo  tomar  bamdo  p  huu  pocar  acem  comtre  outra  valya 
e  comtre  o  guov^''nador,  lenibro  a  vosa  alteza  q  se  pdio  o  trato 
de  calecud  p  ayres  coirea  querer  bamdejar  p  coja  beguy,  he 
bem  q  sejam  iavore^idos  os  que  s^'vem  vosa  alteza  e  nam  do 
njancyia  q  Ihcs  fiijam  fazcr  u  q  nam  devem  comtre  o  Roy  da 


VASCO     DA    (lAMA.  XXI 

tvra  ])oi.s  sam  seus  vasalos  e  ele  lio  lie  de  vosa  alteza  esta  ho 
a  cousa  q  ele  mais  semte.  nam  diguo  de  di"  correa  muytas 
cuusas  plo  meudo  que  sam  diiia.s  de  grii  castyguo  p  que  jaz 
ja  omdc  uuso  Senlior  se  leubre  do  sua  alma. 

Estava  aquy  g"  fQonzaloJ  memdez  feytor  e  pedro  inem 
(Pedro  IlomcmJ  o  p  huas  palavras  de  gramde  esperamca  do 
vosa  alteza  queriain  cons^'var  o  soster  a  paz  desta  jemte, 
tolhyalhes  quo  nam  fosoin  a  cananor  nem  amdar  amtre  os 
mouros  semdo  feytor  e  escrivaiio  e  sobre  isto  os  mexricou  com 
ho  capitam  moor  que  creo  sempre  em  suas  maldades  e  as  ouve 
p  v'''tudes  segundo  o  mafio  trato  que  deu  ao  Rey  da  trra  e  ao 
guov'^'^nador  e  jemto  dela  plos  (juaes  cousas  vosa  alteza  deve 
pguntar  a  J°  sarraao  que  sabe  algua  cousa  diso  p  que  avelas 
descrever  meudamemte  nam  se  poderiam  acabar. 

K  so  o  Roy  da  ti-ra  estevc  pa  quebrar  do  todo  com  ho 
capitam  moor  sobro  a  tyrada  do  seu  guov*''nador  e  asy  sobre 
hua  soma  de  cavalos  (jue  Iho  tomou  for9osamemte  sem  Ihos 
paguar  e  fez  obriguar  ao  alguazil  que  paguase  alguiis  deles 
a  seus  donos  e  sonam  q  o  prenderia  em  ferros.  eu  ho  sey 
muy  bem  p  que  estive  la  huu  dia  todo  com  el  Rey  dozcmdo 
Iho  de  parte  de  vosa  alteza  quo  se  se  semtia  agravado  q'  ho 
fezesc  sabr  a  vosa  alteza  e  q'  tudo  se  Remediaria  com  in*^  pauz 
e  muyto  amor  a  ele  me  dezya  que  queria  acabar  de  perder 
8ua  trra  pois  Ihe  faziam  tamtas  forcas  que  as  nam  podia 
sofrir  e  que  nam  queria  nada  de  nos  nem  portos  nem 
naveguaf;am  nem  dar  nem  tomar  com  nosco  e  q'  queria  viver 
no  sartam  e  com  os  fruitos  da  trra  se  mantor  pois  Iho 
roubavamos  a  trra  e  Iho  faziaraos  tamtas  forcas.  profyey 
tamto  com  ele  com  palavras  mansas  que  p  derradoyra  me 
diso  avemdo  sobre  iso  m*"  conselho  que  queria  sofrir  tudo 
ate  ho  fazcr  sabr  a  vosa  alteza  e  a  isto  senhor  mamda  laa 
com  alguuH  s*''vi90s  de  joyas  escs  omcs  com  cartas  e  Recados 
na  maao  do  J"  san-iio. 

Este  anno  ouvomos  p"  esta  feytoria  p"  carrogua  destas 
naaos  quatro  mil  q^(quintaes)  dc  jongibre  casi  todo  Jyado  que 


XXU  VASCO    DA    GAMA. 

nos  o  Rey  mamdou  dar  e  fomolo  paguamdo  pouco  e  pouco  e  se 
tiveramos  mercaderias  p*  o  paguarmos  pareceme  q^  ouveramos 
seis  ou  sete  mil  q^  e  por  que  nam  temos  nenhua  mercaderia 
nem  com  q'  ho  paguar  estamos  no  pre90  de  cem  fs  (farazolas) 
ho  bahar  a  q'  o  anno  pasado  ho  fezemos  decer  pq'  estava  a 
cemto  vinte  fs  ho  bahar  e  aguora  nos  -acometem  q^  nos 
obriguemos  a  Ihe  tomar  ate  seis  mil  q^  e  q^  Ihe  paguemos  em 
mercaderias  e  loguo  algua  cousa,  se  as  teveramos,  pareceme 
q^  ho  fezeramos  abayxar  a  oytemta  fs  o  bahar.  p'"'q'  Jorge  de 
melo  com  suas  boas  palavras  e  comdy'cam  os  tem  muyto 
masos  e  tyrados  de  muytas  maly9ias  em  que  jaziam  p'  q' 
despois  q^  aquy  fy'cou  vieram  a  esta  fortaleza  muytos  mouros 
jentyos  honrrados  q^  avia  dous  annos  q'  aquy  nam  etraram 
nem  tratavam  com  nosco,  este  fruyto  dam  as  arvores  q'  vosa 
alteza  poem  p*""  sua  maao. 

Mamde  vosa  alteza  acudir  a  esta  feytoria  com  muy'tas 
mercaderias  e  p  especial  mandado  mamde  q^  as  descarregaem 
aquy  p*""  q'  pasam  todas  a  cochy  e  na  nos  dexam  aquy  nada 
nem  querem  aquy  estar  tres  dias  aymda  q'  venham  muyto 
9edo  nam  Ihes  lenbra  se  nam  quitaladas  e  este  anno  pderam 
quatro  ou  cimco  naaos  de  meca  que  vieram  a  calecud  p"*"  na 
quererem  aquy  ag^dar  e  avisamolos  disso  p'"'q'  sabiamos 
gerto  q'  vinham.  ho  anno  pasado  pasaram  a  meca  e  adem 
doze  ou  treze  naaos  carreguadas  despe9iaria  e  este  anno  se 
fazem  prests  outras  tamtas.  Remedee  Ds  isto  pois  o  vosa 
alteza  nam  qr  Remediar  p'"'q'  milhor  seria  tolher  esta  pasaje 
a  esta  especiaria  q^  estar  sobre  guoa  gastado  quamto  vosas 
feytorias  tem  com  jemte  darmas  da  trra  e  com  sete  ou  oyto 
gemtos  omes  e  quatro  ou  9imco  naaos  e  outras  tamtas 
caravelas  e  guales  pagamdo  mais  casamemtos  a  omes  q'  se 
loguo  nam  tomar  mouros  do  q'  val  o  q'  guoa  ateguora 
Rendeo,  nem  numca  Rendera.  ahy  poem  o  capita  moor 
todo  seu  fundameto  esque9emdose  das  vosas  feytorias  anti- 
guoas  e  q'  ha  toda  a  carregua  p  as  naaos  pa  cujo  fundamemto 
vossa  alteza  madou  descobrir  a  ymdia  e  asy  tambem  gasta  e 


VASOO    DA    (!AMA.  XXlll 

soldos  e  mantymemtos  a  os  canaris  da  tna  tamto  q'  falece 
qua  nas  feytorias  e  os  purti:gueses  andam  qua  sem  averem 
paguamento  de  seus  soldos  m*°  tpo  esta  quy  coja  bcguy  q' 
nos  come  cada  dia  liuu  +3'^"  (cnizado)  q' t.om  do  mantyraemto 
sem  neTiliuii  fruto. 

raamda  la  a  vosa  alteza  hnu  embayxador  q'  diz  q'  he  do 
preste  johan  mamdouo  de  guoa  p  estas  fortalezas  q'  Ihe 
desera  grarades  dadivas  e  llie  fezesem  grandes  Re9ibimentos 
como  Ihe  foram  f'°^  dezemdo  q^  traz  o  lenho  da  samta  e 
v^''dadeyra  cruz.  traz  comsiguo  hiia  raolher  da  trra  do 
preste  Johan  e  huu  moco  fez  emtender  q'  a  molher  era  sua 
propia  molher  e  f"  de  huu  gram  senhor  e  q'  o  moco  era 
m*"  paremte  do  Rey  e  q'  era  o  prim9ypal  ebayxador  e  a 
molher  descobrio  aquy  q'  este  era  mouro  e  q'  vinha  do  cayro 
p"^  espia  e  q'  conprara  aquelo  mo^o  e  q'  a  ela  q'  a  furtara  q' 
nam  era  sua  molher  pq'  os  abaxis  sam  todos  pretos  e  ferrados 
nas  testas  e  q'  este  he  omera  alvo  e  q'  nam  sabe  a  lynguoa  da 
trra  do  preste.  Requerio  ao  capita  Jorge  de  melo  p'"'amte 
todos  os  oficiaes  desta  fortaleza  q'  a  tyrase  dole  p  quamto 
ere  mouro  e  q^  olhase  plos  cguanos  com  q'  vinha,  o  capitam  o 
mada  asy  como  vinha  a  vosa  alteza  com  a  crareza  do  q'  qua 
soube  e  asy  gaspar  pereyra  o  escreve  a  vosa  alteza. 

Eu  trouxe  huu  alv"^  de  vosa  alteza  p'^  p'm*  escrevaninha 
que  vaguase  c  cananor  fuy  provido  da  de  J"  davila  p  sua 
morte  e  duarte  frez  veyo  este  anno  com  huu  alv  p  a  escreva- 
ninha de  J"  davila  com  os  seguros  das  naaos  da  trra  e  pedro 
mem  p  fey  tor  segumdo  a  tem9am  de  vosa  alteza  eu  ficava 
escrivaao  primeyro  como  era  pedro  me  pois  duarte  frez  traz 
nomeada  escrevaninha  de  J"  davila  e  o  capitam  moor  ho 
ctendeo  como  quis  e  proveyo  duarte  frez  da  escrevaninha 
p''meyra  com  os  seguros  q'  tem  seteta  mil  fs  e  mais  parte 
nos  dr'°^  do  jegivre  e  droguerias  q'  eu  trabalho  milhor  q' 
nenhuii  ofe9ial  p'"*  ly"guoa  e  fico  aguora  com  cicoemta  mill 
rs  secos,  plo  qual  bejaroy  as  maiios  de  vosa  alteza  maradarme 
prover  com  justyca  c  (j^  guoze  o  tpo  q'  tenho  s'''vido  c  s" vir 


XXIV  VASOO    DA    CrAMA. 

d'  escrivaao  primeyro  pois  duarte  frz  traz  nomeada  a  de 
J°  davila  em  seu  alv*  e  nisto  me  fora  m^  mer9e  fea  em 
cananor  a  a  xii  de  Janeyro  de  1513. 

D*^  barbosa. 


VASCO    DA    OAMA.  XXV 


Letter  of  Dom  Manuki.  to  Alfonso  d'Albuquekque, 

DATED    MaRCFI    2,    1514. 

Torre  do  Tomuo,  Part  I,  Ma<;o  14,  Doc.  77. 

Affons  dalboqf  q*'  ainigo  Nos  el  Rey  vos  emviamos  ra'"  sau- 

dar  come  pr 
outra  carta  vos  scpveemos  p'"  a  booa  em  formaca  que  nos  des- 
tes  de  Joham  serraao  e  p""  o  avermos  p'"  pessoa  q  nos  savera 
beem  s''''vir  nas  cousas  que  Ihe  forem  emcarregadas  ouvemos 
p^  beem  vollo  emviar  llaa  p"'  nos  s*''vir  naquelles  cousas 
que  Ihe  cometerdes  e  emcarregardes  e  esperamos  q  em 
tudo  ho  em  q  ho  pos'des  dara  de  sy  toda  booa  qta  e 
p*"  q'  saibaeeis  nossa  tenca  acerq''  do  q  mos  follgariamos 
q  elle  fezese  nos  p'receo  beem  vollo  sepv'r  q  he  o  era- 
viardes  cntrar  o  mar  Roixo  e  chegar  atee  ssoez  e  ver 
muy  bem  todo  o  q'  ha  no  dito  mar  da  hua  p"^  e  da  out* 
asy  de  cidades  villas  e  llugares  como  de  toda  ouf  cousa 
e  de  p'"'tos  e  amcoracoees  e  ilhas  e  do  trauto  q^  nelle  ha  e  a- 
sy  navios  que  nelle  navegam  e  a  que  p°''tos  podria  viir 
a  geente  do  abexy  e  quilto  ha  do  llugar  ou  llugares  omde 
vem  as  suas  cafillas  a  sua  terra  e  como  pasam  as  dy- 
tas  cafillas  e  com  que  seguraca  e  que  geemtes  sam 
as  p  omde  pasam  ate  chegare  a  terra  do  abexy  e  se 
sa  Rex  q'  na  Reconhe^a  s"^^"  e  se  sam  mouros  se 
gemtios  e  em  que  t'po  vaao  e  torna  as  ditas  cafillas 
e  o  q'  traze  e  llevam  e  particullarmete  das  cousas 
do  abexy. 

Item  o  sytyo  da  trra  de  ssoiz  quejamdo  he  e  se  ha  hy 
allgu  tall  em  que  se  possa  fazer  forteleza  e  se  tem  a- 
goa,  e  finallmemte  queymar  e  destroyr  todo  que  em 
soez  achase  pncipallmete  de  navios  e  cousas  da  ar- 
mada e  quato  ha  de  soez  ao  cairo  e  q^  caminho  he  se  de 

e 


XXVI  VASCO    1>A    GAMA. 

deserto  sc  povorado  ysto  p  onifonnaca  q'  Jiso  podera 
a  veer. 

E  ysto  tudo  muy  bem  visto  e  asy  bem  sabydo  q  nam 
possa  aveer  cousa  de  que  nii  ssaibamos  ^te 

Item  o  p'"  de  Juda  bem  visto  e  q'mto  d'hy  no  ccrto 
a  meca  e  o  camynho  que  se  faz  se  he  povorado  se 
despovorado  e  se  ha  agoas  nelle. 

Item  em  meca  se  ha  geemte  de  garnyca  e  qjamda 
e  q'nta  e  os  moradores  q'mtos  su  e  q'  geemte  he. 

Item  asy  mesmo  que  vise  muy  beem  todo  o  mar  da  p«ya  a- 
tee  baharem  na  maneira  que  dito  he  q  o  faca  no  mar 
Roixo  esprevemdo  todas  as  cousas  que  nelle  se  achil  c 
ssouber  q'  ha  e  que  estas  cousas  faca  e  ambos  es- 
tes  mares  com  os  navios  com  q'  elles  se  posam  bem  ua- 
vegar  e  que  sejam  hgeiros  pa  yso  asy  como  gallees 
0  navios  de  Remo  outros  que  sa  pa  a  navega^a  dos 
ditos  mares  proveytosos  os  quaees  se  podem  bem 
fazer  e  prestesmete  p'los  oficiaees  q'  agoi'a 
vaao  q'  leva  a  seu  cargo  ate  llaa  chegarem  o  dito 
joham  serraao  p  noso  mildado  p  irem  cd  elle 
melhor  agasalhados  e  estes  navios  que  asy  llevar  devc 
d  ir  bem  armados  dartelh''"^  e  armas  e  com  gete 
de  proveyto. 

Item  follgariamos  q'  levase  comsigo  que  Ihe  boein 
pymtase  todo  o  mar  Roixo  asy  como  jaz  e  as  cousas 
q'  nelle  ha  de  maneira  que  na  ficase  cousa  allgiTia 
delle  que  nos  na  viese  pimtado. 

Item  q'riamos  q'  somdase  alltura  do  dito  mar 
({uiito  bem  se  podese  fazer  e  em  espe9iall  omde 
ouvesc  baixos  e  nos  canaes  p  omde  p  baixos  se 
navega. 

Item  q'  visse  e  ouvesc  Vf'(^ad"'  omformacil  da  llar- 
gura  do  dito  mar  e  no  mais  estreito  delle  quilto  he 
de  tria  a  trra  e  p  q'll  das  bandas  he  a  canall 
mais  allta  e  d  anbas  as  ptes  a  alltura  do 
mar. 


VASCO    DA    (!AMA.  XXVU 

Item  se  sam  povoradas  as  llhas  q^  ha  nello  c  de  que 
gemte  e  se  sa  gemte  Rica  se  prove  e  se  tern 
agoas  e  disposysa  p"  fazer  ffortellezas. 

E  asy  sayba  as  llegoas  q^  ha  do  estreito 
atee  ssoez  e  do  toro  atee  ssoez  e  do  toro  atee  samta  C"" 
e  posto  que  creemos  que  destas  cousas  vos  tenhaees 
sabidas  muytas  follgaremos  que  todavia  sem 
embarguo  disso  elle  saiba  destas  o  que  Ihe  for  posy- 
veil  saber  e  os  navios  q^  com  elle  emviareis  s'^'^am 
OS  que  virdes  q^  vos  bem  p'^'re^er  e  q  compre  pa  tall 
viagem. 

E  que  de  todas  estas  cousas  e  quaees  q'r  out*®  q'  vus 
bem  parecerem  leve  vosso  Regimento  pa  que  do  todas 
nos  posaees  cedo  emviar  Recado  septa  em 
allmerira  a  dous  d^s  do  mes  de  maryo  Ant°  frrz 
a  fez  de  1514. 

Rky  .  -  - 


out"  tall  p  a"*  da.  .  .  .  [boqq,  Ivni  n^/"] 

Docket. 

Vor  cl  Rey 

lyda 
A  a"  daboqq  do  seu  coiise- 
Iho  seu  capitam  moor  das 
p^'^''  da  India. 

out'  tal. 


XXVm  VASCO    DA    CAM  A. 


Specimen  from  the  Portuguese  Bibles  of  the  Lisbon,  London,  and 

Colombo  Editions,  exemplifying  the  language  now  spoken  by 

the  descendants  of  the  Portuguese  in  Ceylon. 

Bible  of  Padke  Antonjo  Pereika  de  Figueiredo. 
Lisbon^  1791. 

1.  He  de  saber  que  a  serpente  era  o  inais  astuto  de  todos 
OS  animaes  da  terra,  que  Deos  tinha  feito  :  e  ella  disse  ti 
mulher :  Porque  vos  prohibio  Deos  que  nao  commesseis  do 
fruto  de  todas  as  arvores  do  paraiso  ? 

2.  Respondeo-lhe  a  ruulher:  Nos  comemos  dos  frutos  das 
arvores,  que  ba  no  paraiso. 

3.  Mas  do  fruto  da  arvore,  que  esta  no  meio  do  paraiso, 
Deos  nos  probibio  que  nao  comessemos,  nem  a  tocassemos, 
sob  pena  de  morrermos. 

4.  Mas  a  serpente  disse  a  raulber :  Bern  podeis  estar 
seguros  que  niio  baveis  de  morrer : 

5.  Porque  Deos  sabe  que  tanto  que  vos  comerdes  dessc 
fruto,  se  abrirao  vossos  olhos;  e  vos  sereis  como  buns  deoses 
pelo  conhecimento,  que  tereis  do  bem,  e  do  mal. 

6.  A  niulber  pois  vendo  que  o  fruto  daquella  arvore  era 
bom  para  se  comer,  e  era  fermoso,  e  agradavel  a  vista, 
tomou  delle  e  comeo,  e  deo  a  seu  marido,  que  comeo  do 
mesmo  fruto  como  ella. 

7.  No  mesmo  ponto  se  Ibes  abrirao  os  olbos  e  ambos  con- 
hecerao  que  estevao  nus ;  e  tendo  cozido  humas  com  outras 
bumas  folhas  de  fi^ueira,  fizoriio  dcllas  humas  cintas. 


VASCO    OA    (JAMA.  XXIX 


Bible  of  Joao  Ferreira  D'Almeida,  Ministro  do 

S°  EVANGELHO  EM  BaTAVIA.       LoNDON,   1819. 

1.  Ora  a  serpente  era  mais  astuta  que  todos  os  animaes 
do  campo  que  Jehova  Deus  tinlia  feito:  e  esta  disse  a  mulher: 
He  tambem  assi  que  Deus  disse :  nao  comereis  de  toda 
arvore  desta  horta  ? 

2.  E  a  mulher  disse  d  serpente  :  Do  fruito  de  toda  arvore 
desta  horta  comeremos. 

3.  Mas  do  fruito  da  arvore^  que  esta  no  meyo  da  horta, 
disse  Deus  :  nao  comereis  delle,  nem  tocareis  nelle,  paraque 
nao  morrais. 

4.  Entao  a  serpente  disse  £  mulher:  de  morte  nao  morre- 
reis. 

5.  Porque  Deus  sabe,  que  no  dia  em  que  comerdes  delle, 
se  abrirao  vossos  olhos,  e  sereis,  como  Deus,  sabendo  o  bem 
e  o  mal. 

6.  E  vio  a  mulher  que  aquella  arvore  era  boa  para  comer, 
8  hum  prazer  a  os  olhos,  e  arvore  desejavel  para  dar  enten- 
dimento;  poloque  tomou  de  seu  fruito,  e  comeo;  e  deu  tam- 
bem a  seu  marido,  e  comeo  com  ella. 

7.  E  assi  forao  abertos  os  olhos  delles  ambos,  e  conhecera5 
que  estavao  nuos,  e  coserao  folhas  do  figucira,  e  fizeriio  para 
si  avantaes. 


.\XX  VASCO    DA    (I  AM  A. 


Bible  op  Colombo,  1833. 

1 .  Agora  o  serpente  tinha  mais  sutil  doqui  todo  o  animals 
de  o  campo  qui  o  Senhor  Decs  ja  forma.  E  elle  ja  falla  per 
o  mulher,  Sim,  ja  Decs  falla  qui  vossotros  nemiste  cume 
de  cada  hum  albre  de  o  horta  ? 

2.  E  o  mulher  ja  falla  per  o  serpente,  Nos  pode  cume  de 
o  fruito  de  o  albres  de  o  horta  : 

3.  Mas  de  o  fruito  de  o  albre  qui  tern  ne  meo  de  o  horta 
Deos  ja  falla,  vossotros  nemiste  cume  de  aquel,  nem  toca 
aquel  somente  qui  vossotros  nada  murre. 

4.  E  o  serpente  ja  falla  per  o  mulher.  Per  verdade  vosso- 
tros nada  murre. 

5.  Videqui  Deos  te  sabe  qui  nc  o  dia  ne  qui  vossotros  te 
cume  de  aquel,  vossos  olhos  lo  ser  aberto,  e  vossotros  lo  sev 
como  deoses,  sabendo  bom  e  mal. 

G.  E  quando  o  mulher  ja  olha  qui  o  albre  tinha  bom  per 
comera,  e  qui  aquel  tinha  fremoso  per  o  vistas  e  hum  albro 
qui  tem  disejado  per  faze  cizo,  elle  ja  toma  de  o  fruito  do 
aquel,  e  ja  cume  e  ja  da  tambem  per  sua  marido ;  e  elle  ja 
cume. 

7.  E  o  olhos  de  amos  dous  de  ellotros  ja  fica  aberto,  o 
cllotros  ja  sabe  qui  ellotros  tinha  no  :  e  ellotros  ja  cuze  per 
huma  o  folhas  de  o  figuoira,  e  ja  pindura  aquels  diante  clles 
mesmo. 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Action  with  the  Arab  ship  off  Mara- 

bia,  313-318 

with  the  Calecut  fleet,  368-373 

Aden,  411 

Alcacer  do  Sal,  16 

Alcouchete,  110 

Almadia,  Indian  boat 

Almoxarife,  Customs'  officer,  trade 

inspector 
Alvor,  15 

Angediva  Islands,  232,  238-253,  309 
Artillery,  226,  227,  309,  402 
landed  at  Cananor,  374 

Balagate,  96,  395 

Ealdc,  a  leather  bucket,  241 

Banished  men  sent  with  the  fleets, 
93,  94,  159,  307 

Basto,  Sr.  Joam,  Keeper  of  the  Ar- 
chives Lisbon,  iv,  xi,  Ixxvi 

Baticala,  attack  upon,  310-312 

Biliguin,  a  bailiff,  419 

Bomtaibo,  confusion  of  his  name 
and  that  of  Monzaide,  132 

Breaking  up  of  Coelho's  ship,  69 

Breech-loading  cannon,  226,  227 

Bylgan,  fort  of,  387 

Cafres,  first  heard  of,  70,  71 
Cafres  in  Portuguese  equivalent  to 

negroes,  8,  70 
Calecut,  149,  326 

bombardment  of,  330 

Cananor,  145,  318,  327 

factory  walled  in,  375 

fort  built,  xxxix,  232 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  first  doubled  by 

John  Infante   and   Bartholomew 

Dias,  vii,  xxi 

doubled  by  Gama,  52 

Cascaes,  264,  266 

Caste,  155 

Ceylon,  408 

Chapiteo,  castles  of  a  ship 

Chaul,  385,  392 

Christians  of  St.  Thomas,  137, 334, 354 

Chronology  of  Gama's  voyage,  Ixxix, 

Ixxx,  52,  71,  111 


Cintacola,  242 

Cintra,  266 

Cochim,  xxxix,  340,  400 

destruction  of  by  British  in 

1806,  428-430 
Cojebegui   saves   some   Portuguese 

chUdren,  358-361 
Congo,  language  of,  79 
Correa's  prologue,  5-6 ;  details  about 

him,  i-ix 
Corriente=!,  Cape,  285 
Coulam,  348 

Coulete,  port  of  Calecut,  399 
Cranganor,  400 
Curia  Muria  Islands, 
Custodia  made  of  tribute  from  Qui- 

loa,  378 

Dabul,  404 

Decline    of    Portugixese    power    in 

India,  1-lxxv 
Dely,  Mount,  145 

Diplomatic  College  at  Rome,  xxxii 
Documents,  ii,  xi,  xiv,  xviii,  xxvii, 

xxxviii,  Ixi,  Ixii,  Ixvi,  I2G,  267,  425, 

385,  390;  Appendix,  i-xxvii 
Dominion  Claimed  over  the  Indian 

seas,  xxix-xxxii,  116,  311 

Earthquake  at  sea,  383,  384 
Evora,  xv 

Floggingof  three  Portuguese  women 
by  order  of  Gama,  394,  395 

Forebodings  of  the  populace  at 
Gama's  departure,  39-43 

Fox,  Colonel  A.  Lane,  227 

Goa,  244,  385 

letter  from  the   Chamber  of. 


385-390 

Goes,  Damian  de,  his  history,  xxviii, 
xxxvii 

Idol  said  to  have  been  found  in  an 

Arab  ship,  367,  372 
Ilha  namoi-ada,  or  enchanted  island. 

xlv,  xlvi,  238,  239,  252,  253 

f 


xxxu 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Landmarks,  73,  140,  141,  142,  244 
Lusiad,  observations  upon  it,  xxxix-I 

Magadoxo,  246,  253 

Malabar  Moors,  description  of,  154- 

156 
Mancal,  game  of,  320 
Manuel,King,succeed8  to  the  throne, 

15-17 

his  character,  274 

prepares   ships    for    Indian 

voyage,  26 
Manuscript  of  Abraham  Zaeut,  20, 21 
Manuscripts,  iv,  xv,  xxxiii,  liv 
Massacre  by  Gama  of  a  ship's  crew 

which  had  surrendered,  314-318 
of  prisoners  taken  off  Cale- 

cut,  332,  333 
-^- by  Gonsalvo  "Vaz  Goes  of 

a  ship's  crew  with  a  Portuguese 

safe-conduct,  xxix 
Melinde,  109-144,  253-259,  304-306 
Miracle  seen  by  Gama's  crew,  334 
Mombasa,  98-108 
Monetae,   small   sails   added    below 

the  large  sails 
Montemor,  35 

Moradia,  court  allowance,  282 
Mozambique,  74,  80-96,  286,  290 
Mutiny  of  Gama's  crews,  58-64,  74 

Nairs,  151,  155,  320 

Names  of  Gama's  ships,  v,  33,  38,  94 

Natal,  discovery  of,  66 

Nautical  almanack,  19,  20,  21 

insti-uments,  23,  45,  138 

Navigation,  21-24,  45,  138,  240-243 
Negotiations  with  Calecut,  180, 188, 
189 

Cananor,  326,  327 

Cochim,  348 

Coulam,  348-353 

Melinde,  116-128 

Oliven^a,  xi 

Onor,  attack  upon,  309,  312 

Orrauz,  410 

Osorio,  Bishop  of  Silves,  his  history, 

xxvii-xxxvi 
sack  of  his  library  by  Earl  of 

Essex,  XXXV 

Palma  Island,  284 
Parao,  a  Malabar  vessel 
Pardao,  a  Malabar  coin 
Predictions,  see  Soothsayers. 
Presents  to  King  of  Calecut,  173, 192 

■ Cananor,  228 

Melinde,  119,  125,  130,  136 


Presents  of  the  King  of  Melinde, 
130,  306 

Quil,  or  Kil,  Tamil,  pitch,  240,  241 
Quiloa,  97,  291-302 
Quilon,  see  Coulam. 

Eeefing  of  sails,  242 

River  of  Three  Kings,  or  of  Mercy, 

or  of  Copper,  66,  67,  71 
of  Good  Signs,  66,  71,  74,  78 

Sabayo,  lord  of  Goa,  96,  245 
Samori  or  Zamorim,  King  of  Calecut 
Sargaqo,  seaweed,  264 
Scouts  sent  by  D.  Joam  II,  8-11 
Scurvy  breaks  out  among  Gama's 

crews,  72,  73 
Sodrc  compels  a  Moorish  captain  to 

pay  his  debts.  336-338 
Sofala,  84,  261,  286-290 
Soothsayers,  111,  146-148,  224,  225 
St.  Helena  bay,  44,  52 
St.  Eafael's  banks,  94 
Strict  regard  to  the  distribution  of 

justice,  Ixxi,  Ixxvi 

Tagata,  261 

Terceira  Island, 

Trade  at  Calecut,  181-187 

Cananor,  322-327 

Cochim,  344-347,  429 

Sofala,  84,  288,  289 

Travancore,  429,  430 

Vasco  da  Gama,  his  birthplace,  ix  ; 
his  house,  ix,  xvi;  genealogy,  x, 
XV;  his  marriage,  xiij  his  sons, 
xii  XV,  428 ;  his  appointment  to 
the  command  of  the  fleet  for  the 
discovery  of  India,  27-31;  his  pre- 
parations, 33 ;  he  receives  a  royal 
standard,  30;  his  departure,  35; 
represses  mutiny,  58-64;  passes 
the  Cape,  51,  52;  sights  India, 
144,  145;  his  detention  by  the 
Catual,  208-220;  his  return  to 
Lisbon,  267-269 ;  honours  paid  to 
him,  272 ;  his  second  voyage,  277- 
379 ;  he  does  homage  on  appoint- 
ment to  viceroyalty  of  India,  Ap- 
pendix, viii,  ix;  his  viceroyalty, 
380-428 ;  his  death,  425.  426 ;  his 
burial,  xvii,  427;  his  character, 
xviii,  xx-xxv ;  his  fortitude,  33, 
50,  56,  57,  64,  65;  his  cruelty,  314, 
315,  331-334;  his  discretion,  302, 
353;  occupation  between  2nd  and 
3rd  voyages,  xvi,  xvii,  379;  hie 
portrait,  Ixxvii 

Vidigueira,  v,  xiii,  xvii 


WRITERS    QUOTED. 


^   Barros,  Asia,  8,  9,  12,  13.  16,  28,  35, 

37,  38,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,  52,  64, 
66,  68,  71,  73,  74,  77,  80,  81,  82,  83, 
94,  98,  102.  103,  109,  127, 135, 137, 
138,  140,  144,  149,  152,  164,  168, 
172,  173,  180,  186,  200-205,  225, 
238,  244,  247,  259,  266,  267,  280, 
281,  283,  284,  285,  296,  299,  307, 
812, 315-318,  320,  326-328,  330, 334, 
340,  343,  354,  364,  365,  367,  374, 
376,  378,  381,  382,  383,  384,  390, 
392,  398,  399,  404,  413,  414,  415, 

/       426, 427 

^  Camoens,  7,  8,  16,  18,  19,  20,  28,  29, 
30,  33,  39-43.  47,  48,  49,  64,  65,  71, 
72,  73,  76,  77,  78,  81,  83,  93,  94,  97, 
98, 100, 103-108, 109,  110,  118, 119, 
122,  123,  124,  135,  144,  145,  155, 
ieO-164,  203,  204,  206,207,210,225, 
235-239,  252,  253,  270,  276 

Translations  of  Camoens — 

Burton,  li,  200,  237 

Fanshaw,  xl,  xliv,  xlix,  1,  16,  30, 
33,  65,  110,  162-164,  210,  253,  270, 
276 

Mickle,  7,  145,  239 

Mitchell,  V 

Musgrave,  207 

Quillman,  xxiv,  xxvi,  li,  8,  20,   29, 
41-43,  47,  49,  73,  78,  94,  97,   106- 
108,  119,  122,  124 
•  Castanheda,  xlii,  9,  10,  15, 17,  30,  35, 

38,  44,  48,  49,  52,  55,  68,  73,  74,  80, 


81, 83, 88, 98, 103, 105, 109, 132, 174, 
204,  205,  215,  219,  225,  247,  253, 
259,  261,  264,  266,  380,  382,  392, 
393  400  414  426 
'Damian  d'e  Goes,  5,  66,  68,  74,  80, 
81,  88,  225,  253,  259,  261,  264,  270, 
276,  280 

Osorio,  xxviii,  xxxiv,  xxxvi,  Ixii- 
Ixvi,  16,  38,  39,  47,  49,  52,  65,  74, 
81,  88,  102,  109,  124, 138,  170,  174, 
247,  270,  276,  285,  286,  299,  307, 
308,  312,  315,  329,  330,  333,  335, 
343,  354,  364,  365,  366,  367,  376, 
377 

San  Eoman,  10,  315,  316,  354,  366, 
378,  384,  395,  414,  426,  427 

Anstey,  Chisbolm,  428-430 

Bonnor,  Honore,  xxxiii 

Defoe,  xxxviii,  312 

Denis,  Ferdinand,  xii,  xviii 

Diodorus  Siculus,  72 

Diogo  do  Couto,  Ixvii-lxxv 

Fialho  Padre,  xv,  xvi 

Horsburgh's  Directory,  108,  141 

Humboldt,  Baron,  xlvii 

Niamet  Ullab  Vely,  225 

Sousa,  Antonio  Caetano  de,  xiii,  xiv 

Strabo,  72 

Swift,  Dean,  xxv,  Ixxvi 

Times'  letter  of  naval  ofiicer  of  July 
29,  1867,  116 

letter  on  custodia  made  of 

gold  from  Quiloa,  379 


NAMES    OF   PERSONS. 


Afonso  Christovam,  Appendix,  xvi 
Aguiar,  Pero  Afonso,  281,  284,  287- 

290,312,326,344,372 
Albuquerque,  Afonso,  xx,  xl,  Ixiii, 

260,  Appendix,  xxv 
Almeida,     Francisco,     viii,     xxxiii, 

xxxix,  Ixii,  Ixvi,  105,  125,  231,  379, 

384 

Lorenzo,  339 

Alvai'ez,  Bastian,  374 

Francisco,  10,  409 

Andrade,  Simno,  xliii,  381 
Arcone,  Mohamcd,  293-299 
Ataide,  Alvaro,  son  of  Vasco,  xii,  xv 


Ataide,  Alvaro,  281,  344 

Pero,  330 

Tristan,  393 

Catharina,  xii 

Atouguia,  Fernan,  281,  284 
Avangelho,  Fernan  Martiua,  393,422 
Azevedo,  Geronymo,  liv-lviii 

Badar9as,  Joan  Eodrigues,  281,  285 
Barbosa,  Duarte,  xix,  5,  374,  xx-xxiv 

Gonzalo   Gil,  or   Gil  Fer- 

nandes,  xxxix,  324,  340,  343,  374 

Bonagracia,  Jolin,  308 
Borba,  Count  of,  269 


XXXIV 


NAMES    OF    PEltSONS. 


Botelho,  Diogo,  pilot,  xxii-xxiv 
Braga,  Alvaro  de,  38,  180,  203,  215 
Biaga,  Peter  de,  180 
Braganza,  Duke  of,  xvii 
Brito,  Christovam,  399 

Cabral,    Pedralvarez,   95,   141,   186, 

227,  277,  278,  279,  280,  286,  299, 

318,  328,  355 
Calcjadilha,  Bishop,  35,  269.  275 
Campo,  Antonio  do,  281,  307 
Carmona,  Thomas  de,  308 
Caivalho,  Antonio,  381 
Castanheira,  Count,  424 
Castanheda,  Buy  de,  281 
Castro,  Joam  de,  vii 
Charles  V,  274 
Chi'istovam  da  Gama,  son  of  Vasco, 

xiv,  xix 
Cibrario,  on  artillery,  226 
Coelho,  Nicolas,  33,  227 

Beatrice,  his  wife,  xxvii,  60 

Cojambar,  355,  373 

Coja  beguy,  318,  358-361 

Coja  Kasim,  318,  332,  355,  369,  371, 

372 
Coje  Mameraarcar,  336-339 
Colazo,  Fernandes,  385,  Appendix,  x 
Columbus,  Chi'istopher,  xxi 
Correa,  Aires,  38,  318,  327,  358-361 
Diogo  Fernandes,  281,  316, 

324,  344,  365 

Gaspar,  25,  260 


Coutinho,  Gonzalo,  281 

D.  Luis,  281,  318,  344 

Covilhan,  Pero,  9-11 
Cunha,  Ruy  da,  281 
Tristan  da,  379 

Dameixoeira,  Joam,  263 

Davane,    the   Guzerati   broker,    7i), 

84,  234 
Davila,  Joam,  Appendix,  xxiii 
Dias,  Andre,  335 

■ Bartholomew,  vii,  xxi,  12-15 

Diogo,  38,  180,  203,  215,  244 

Pero,  106 

Eodrigo,  xli-xliii 

Escolar,  Pero,  38 

Essex,  Earl  of,  xxxv 

Estevan  da  Gama,  father  of  Vasco, 

xi,  28,  30 
son  of  Vasco,  xii, 

xiv,  380,  404,  428 


cousin  of  Vasco, 

XV,  282,  307-3 1 0, 3 1 7 ;  captains  who 
sailed  with  him,  307,  377 

Evaugolho,  st'c  Avungolho. 


Felner,   Rodrigo,  editor  of  Gaspar 

Correa,  iv,  li-liv 
Fernandes,  Antonio,  Appendix,  xxvii 
Fernandes,  Duarte,  347 
Fernandes,  Gil,  281 
Fernandes,  Antonio,  282 
Ferreira,  Gomez,  325 
Fialho,  Padre,  xv,  xvi 
Figueira,  Joam,  ii,  vi,  260 
Fogaza,  Jorge,  xlii 

Gama,  see  Alvaro  d'Ataide,  Christo- 
vam, Estevan,  Francisco,  Paulo, 
Pedro  da  Silva,  Vasco. 

Gaspar  das  Indias,  244-252,  301,  309 

Gil,  \'icente,  381,  401 

Goes,  Gonsalvo  Vaz,  xxix 

Godinho,  Diogo,  316,  374 

Gomez,  Pero,  Appendix,  vii 

Gonsalez,  Pero,  Appendix,  xvi 

Gonsalvez,  Ruy,  381 

Gor,  Duke  of,  iv 

Henry,  Prince,  xxi,  xxxviii,  37,  45 
Homem,  Mosem  Gaspar,  381,  382 
Homem,  Pedro,  Appendix,  xxi 

Ismail,  Shah,  410 

Janinfante,  vii,  12,  15,  49 

Lemos,  xii 

Lemos,  Fernan  Gomes  de,  408,  42 1, 

425 
Lemos,  Diogo  Martins,  404 
Lima,  Diogo  de,  402,  407 
Lima,  Rodrigo  de,  10,  408,  409 
Lobo,  Lopo,  381 
Lopez,  Fernan,  325 
Lopez,   Dr.  Francisco  Luis,  doctor 

at  Sines,  x 
Luis,  Sebastian,  384 

Macedo,  Manuel  de,  399 

Machado,  Joan,  93-95 

Magellan,  Ferdinand,  xvii,  xx.  274 

Major,  R.,  xxxvii 

Manuel,  D.,  15,  16,  17,  28 

Manuel,  Nuno,  378 

Marecos,  Francisco,  281,  285,  315, 

353 
Martins,  Fernan,  76,  77,  203 
Martins,  Joam,  see  Nunez,  Joam. 
Mascarenhas,  Pero,  381 
Mattoso,  Gil,  281,  316,  317,  344,  372 
Mello,  Ruy  de,  387,  Appendix,  xii, 

XV 

Mello,  Duarte  de,  408 

Mello,  Joan  Fernandez  do,  307,  309 

MoUOj  Jorgo  de,  i,  ii 


NAMES    OF    PERSONS. 


XXXV 


Memdes,  Gonzalo,  Appendix,  xxi 

Menesos,  Alvaro,  341 

Meneses,  Duarte,  385,  412,  417,  419, 

420,  423,  424 
Meneses,  Henrique,  xxxix,  381,  390, 

392,  398,  422,  Appendix,  xi 
Meneses,  Jorge,  382,  393 
Meneses,  Luis,  387,  400,417,418,419, 

420,  423,  424 
Meneses,  Simao,  381,  399 
Mendanha,   Kuy  de,  319,  325,  331, 

376 
Mendon^a,  Francisco,  398,  424 
Mendoza,  Pero,  284,  344 
Mexia,  Afonso,  381,  414,  420,  422 
Middleton,  Sir  Henry,  Ivi 
Miranda,  Antonio  da,  382 
Monroyo,  Fernando  de,  381,  382 
Monzaide,   132,   160,   161,   173,  200, 

204,  221 
Moreno,  Lorenzo,  340,  365 
Moura,  Luis  de,  307 
Moura,  Manuel,  Appendix,  vii 

Naut,  King  of  Abyssinia,  10 
Nova,  Joam  de,  21,  299 
Nunez,  Diogo,  374 
Nunez,  Gonzalo,  38,  44 
Nunez,  Joan,  159,  180,  206 
Nunez,  Pero  400,  422 

Pacheco,  Duarte,  360 

Paiva  or  Pavia,  Gonzalo,  7-11 

Bartolameu,  Appendix,  ix 

Paulo  da  Gama,  brother  of  Vasco, 

xxvi,  30-32,  38,  64,  67,  73,  215,  217, 

265 
Paulo  da  Gama,  son  of  Vasco,  xiv, 

380,  428 
Pedro  da    Silva,  son   of  Vasco   da 

Gama,  xiv,  xv 
Pedrosa,  Saneho,  126 
Pegado,  Vicente,  381,  422 
Penela,  Count  of,  378 
Pereira,  Diogo,  425 
Pereira,  Francisco,  see  Pestana. 
Pereira,  Joan  da  Sa,  353 
Perestrello,  Joan  Lopez,  281,  282, 

376 
Perez,  Alonso,  see  Monzaide. 
Pessoa,  Baltasar,  409,  410 
Pestana,  Francisco  Pereira,  385-392, 

Appendix,  xiii 
Peteira,  Diogo  Fernandes,  307,  344, 

353 
Petreio,  Diogo,  367 
Pighio,  Alberto,  383 
Pires,  Tiastian,  420 
Prcbtcr  John,  8-10 


Rafael,  Pero,  282,  360,  367,  368,  371, 

372 
Ravasco,  Ruy  Lorenzo,  307,  344,  369 
Raynal,  Abbe,  lix 
Resende,  Garcia  de,  xvi 
Resende,  Pedro  Barreto  de,  ix 
Rodrigues,  Arthur,  266,  267 
Rodrigues,  Damian,  95 
Rodrigues,  Gaspai-,  Appendix,  vi 
Rodrigues,  Payo,  327,  Appendix,  xvi 
Rosado,  Christovam,  381,  382 

Sa,  Francisco  de,  382 

Sa,  Joan  de,  141 

Saldanha,  Antonio  de,  307 

Sampayo,  Lopo  Vaz,  381,  407,  414, 
418,419,422,425 

Serrano,  Joan,  xx,  286,  290,  Appen- 
dix, xxi,  XXV 

Setubal,  Joan  de,  213 

Silverra,  Antonio,  381 

Silveira,  Diogo  da,  424 

Silveira,  Hector  da,  408-412 

Simdes,  Dr.,  librarian  at  Evora,  xvi 

Sodre,  Bras,  376 

Sodre,  Vicente,  281,  335-339,  343, 
356,  366,  369,  373,  376,  377 

Sousa,  Alvaro,  344 

Sousa,  Christovam,  384,  410 

Sousa,  Gil  Fernandes  de,  281,  344 

Sousa,  Jeronymo  de,  399 

Soyro,  Joam,  auditor,  384,  393,  412 

Tareyja  da  Gama,  sister  of  Vasco, 

xii,  xviii.  Appendix,  v 
Tavora,  Ruy  Lorenzo  de,  xix 
Timoja,  309 
Tinoco,  Vasco,  Fernandez,  307,  344, 

369,  370 
Toar,  Saneho  de,  287 
Triumpar,  King  of  Cochim,  366 

Ulloa,  X 

Varthema,  Ludovic,  xxxv 
Vasco  da  Gama,  see  General  Index 
Vasconcellos,  Jorge  de,  268 
Vasconcellos,  Lopo  Mendus  de,  307, 

317 
Vaz,  Antao,  282 
Velho,  Pero,  381 
Veloso,  Fernan,  46,  47 
Vespucci,  Amerigo,  Appendix,  xviii 
Vicente,  Gil,  379 
Vimioso,  Conde  de,  xvi.  Appendix, 

ix 
Vyne,  a  Genoese,  405 

Zacoeja,  80 

Zacut,  Abraham,  17-25,  50,  59 


^'.l' 


ERRATA. 

p.  xii,  line  8,  for  Ferdinand,  read  Ferdinand  Denis. 

P.  52,  note,  line  1 7,  for  near  to  another,  read  near  to  one  another. 

P.  328,  line  1,  for  ship  Mount  Dely,  read  ship  at  Mount  Dely. 

P.  375,  note,  for  Duke  of  Goa,  read  Duke  of  Gor. 

P.  414,  note,  for  Caatello  braneo,  read  Castello  branco. 

P.  xvi.  Appendix,  line  3,  for  nosa  carta,  read  vosa  carta. 

P.  xxiv,  line  3,  for  cananor  a  a  xii,  read  cananor  a  xii. 


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